


Soulmates

by sometimesafangirl



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, No Curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-03-13 01:29:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 42,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3362738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sometimesafangirl/pseuds/sometimesafangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CS AU: Eight years ago, Princess Emma's childhood friend left to become a sailor, only to be lost at sea a year later. Now, Emma heads to town on an almost nightly basis to escape the pressure her parents are putting on her to marry. But what happens when she sees the one person she never thought she'd see again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> There is a sort of prequel thing that can be found here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/2247669/chapters/5544323   
> It's the last chapter of my Differentiation set of little fics. :)

She imagined it so many times: how it would be when she saw him again. How incredibly handsome he would look (he was already handsome when he left, but she was only twelve then, and she didn't fully appreciate it) in his uniform, his dark hair framing his face just slightly, accentuating those brilliant blue eyes. How he would smile at her, as if he had never been happier. How she would run into his arms, and he would pick her up and spin her around like he used to. She would smile and laugh, and he would tell her how much he missed her. She would tell him she always thought of him, and he would say the same. He would declare his love for her, and she for him. They would kiss. It would be their happily ever after.

But it would never happen. 

He died when she was thirteen. His ship lost at sea and never recovered. She mourned him for years, and she still dreamt of him; she still woke in tears whenever his face came to her in her dreams. Seven years after his death, and Emma had completely closed her heart to love. She was too young to feel that way, but she was broken.

Night after night, she sat against the wall at the tavern. The light blues and pinks she wore during the day replaced with dark greens and browns. Lace for leather. Cascading curls pulled back into a messy bun or ponytail. And just like the nights before, she took her first drink and sighed. 

She was sure her parents were fully aware that she came here, but they never tried to stop her. Somewhere deep down, she knew that her mother pitied her, and she knew her father really didn't want her to marry just yet, but they had a kingdom to run. She was their eldest, months past twenty with no interest in politics, or marriage, or any of it. But a princess had a duty, and soon she would need to fulfill it. So she came here to unwind. To forget. To pretend everything was different. She never drank enough to lose herself, but she always drank enough to dull the pain. 

Just like every other night, she sat sideways on the stool, one arm on the bar as she leaned back against the wall and watched the room. For the first hour, everything was normal. People talked, laughed, and sang (most sang rather badly, but they always looked like they were having such fun, so she admired them for that). The barkeep, a nice man named Richard who often gushed about his lovely wife Elizabeth, slid over a plate with a sweet roll and smiled at her as he usually did. She was convinced he knew who she was, but, as she suspected with her parents, he said nothing. 

Emma pulled a little piece off the roll and ate it when the door opened and a group of men walked in. Unsavory characters, from the look of it. She groaned a little and sank back against the wall, pulling her hood up to cover the mop of golden curls she had pinned to her head. She more she blended in, the better.

She watched the group warily, frowning as they moved to the corner closer to her, taking up several tables. The poor barmaid was constantly bringing them refills. At one point, one of the men grabbed her, and Emma clenched her fist around the handle of her mug.

"Now now, boys. That's no way to treat a lady." A voice rang from the door, and the group of men instantly settled, "Yes Cap'n" sounding almost in unison. Emma looked up and her eyes widened. The man wore black leather, his dark hair messily framing his face, a pair of piercing blue eyes scanning the room, and lips curved in a grin she would have known anywhere.

She imagined it so many times, but she never imagined it like this.

Emma turned herself so her back was no longer against the wall. She held her mug with both hands and stared at the meager amount of liquid at the bottom. She kept her head bowed, hoping her hood covered her enough to keep the man's wandering eyes from falling on her. She held her breath and listened as footsteps came closer, but they faded as he sat at one of the tables with the men. She let the air out, quickly downed the contents of her mug, and pushed it forward for a refill. 

Richard filled it, but leaned over to whisper. "Are you all right, dear? You never drink that quickly." 

Emma nodded a little, glancing at the table of men before looking back at him. "Just a little uncomfortable." She whispered, trying to keep her voice from carrying, not that the man would have recognized it now anyway.

"Understandable." He nodded and went back to serving others.

Emma drank a little more, slower this time, as she listened to the group, trying to pick up anything that would explain why, for seven years, that man had let her think he was dead. Why, despite his promises, he never once sent her a letter. Why, after all of this time, he came here, of all places, to the town so close to her castle. Surely he knew where he was, but perhaps he thought no one would recognize him, or maybe he just didn't care.

He was a pirate now, after all.

Emma caught that much from the jumbled conversations. They shared stories of adventure, even though they all clearly experienced it together. Stories of far off places, mysterious kingdoms, and foreign peoples. Stories of sword fights and drunken brawls. Stories of women. Lots of women.

She clenched her eyes shut and forced the tears back. Every word she caught only chipped away at the image she so desperately kept locked in her heart. Every laugh made her cringe as she thought about all of the times he had laughed for her and with her when they were children. Every utterance of "Cap'n" crushed whatever was left after she thought he died.

Thought he died. She laughed a little bitterly at that and opened her eyes again. Of course he hadn't died. No one ever found any evidence of the ship being wrecked. They only had word from the port master, who said the ship set sail, but never came back after a horrid storm. But he hadn't died. He had abandoned his life; he had abandoned her.

A particularly loud laugh caught her attention and she turned her head just slightly to look at the group. He was drinking, smiling, laughing. His eyes shone. He was sitting there doing things she had been unable to do for seven years. And it seemed to come easy to him. Why wouldn't it? He was the free one. He was the one who was able to leave, to become something else. He wasn't stuck in a castle, living a life he had no choice but to live. He wasn't the broken one.

Her eyes narrowed a little before she stood and intercepted the barmaid as she made her way to the table. "Let me do it." She said as she pulled her hood down and unpinned her hair so that it fell in soft, bouncing curls around her shoulders. The other woman nodded, probably glad for the relief, and Emma took the tray. She took slow, purposeful steps towards the table. She frowned as some of the men noticed her and stared. Disgusting. She stopped beside the captain and put the mug down a bit too forcefully, as some of it splashed onto the table.

"Your drink, sir." She said through gritted teeth.

He turned, one brow arched, an incredulous look on his face as he faced her. "Now, that wasn't very nice, lass. What if you had gotten it on my coat?"

"You would have survived, I'm sure. It's just a coat."

"Oh. A feisty one." He grinned up at her and grabbed her wrist. "Come, keep us company hm? I like a girl with some spirit." 

"Let go of me." She yanked to try to pull her wrist from his grip, but his hold was too strong.

"And what if I don't?" His grin widened and he pulled her a little closer. "What if I decide to keep you?"

There was something in his voice that she never heard directed at her before. A tone the men sometimes took when trying to woo the women, and it made her stomach churn. Instead of trying to get out of his grip, Emma's other hand whirled faster than he could have anticipated, and his head turned sharply to the side as a loud smack sounded. He lifted his other hand to his reddening cheek, rubbing it a bit as he turned to look at her. "Oh? I hardly think I've done anything offensive enough to deserve such violence." That flirtatious tone was gone, replaced by something darker, something she should have been scared of, but there was no fear, just anger.

"And yet, you're still holding my wrist. Should I hit you again?" She lifted her hand again. 

"Oh no, lass, but you can certainly do something else to me." That flirtatious tone was back, and he stood, yanking her to his chest and grinning down at her, his eyes staring into hers. It took a few short seconds for recognition to cross his features, his grin fading as his eyes widened. "You're--"

Emma stared up at him defiantly, her jaw set, her cheeks flushed with anger, her eyes shimmering with tears. "So tell me, Killian. Do you think a mere slap is enough to punish the offense you've committed?" 

The other men at the table went silent. Some stared at her with wide eyes. Some sneered and moved to protect their captain, but he shook his head to still them, and they sat back down. "Emma." He said, his voice softer, but it could never sound the way it used to. His grip on her wrist loosened, but he continued to hold her against his chest. There was a hushed murmur amongst his crew, but all eyes were on them.

She pushed herself back from him, her eyes narrowing. "Don't you dare." She backed away a few steps when he moved forward again. 

He stopped and looked at her, for a moment, she thought she saw sadness cross his face, but she refused to believe this pirate even had a shred of the man she loved left in him. The man she loved wouldn't have lied to her. The man she loved wouldn't have let her think he was dead. He wouldn't have let her mourn him. The man she loved would have hated to see her become this cold, bitter thing. "Emma, I can explain." He started towards her again.

Emma clenched her fists at her sides and looked at him, trying to keep the angry expression, but she could feel the tears in her eyes again. She could feel her lip trembling just slightly as she started to crack. One year of fading hope and seven years of heartbreak came flooding forth. "I don't want to hear it. Nothing you can say will make me understand your lies." She managed before she turned and quickly walked to the door. She heard the murmurs and the whispers as she pushed the door open and stepped out. They echoed in her head even as she picked up her pace and ran to her horse.

The sound of his voice stayed with her. 'What if I decide to keep you?' She winced. 'You can certainly do something else to me.' She clutched at the reins until she was sure the leather was cutting into her palms. She tried to hold it in, but she choked on a sob as it broke through. The tears she had been fighting in the tavern now flowed freely down her cheeks.

The poor stable boy was so confused when she practically launched herself to the ground and ran. Normally, she would have taken more care, but tonight she couldn't. Tonight she just wanted to throw herself on her bed and hope that this was all some sort of bad dream or drunken illusion. And as she buried her face into her pillows and sobbed, she felt everything crumble around her. Her walls buckled and caved, and the pain flooded over her. 

In one night, everything had changed.


	2. Regrets

Killian kicked a chair in his cabin with such force that the wood splintered and one of the legs broke. He cussed at the pain that shot through his foot, but it was nothing compared to the phantom sting he still felt on his cheek. He yanked open his flask of rum and took one long swig, coughing a little as it burned down his throat. The events from the night just kept replaying in his head. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He had this grand plan, but now that was sunk. Of course, he didn't know why he expected things would go so well. It had been eight years since he had been here, since he had seen the princess. But even if it didn't go well, it wasn't supposed to go this horribly. He put the flask down and ran his hand over his cheek again, groaning and falling back to his bed. Now what was he supposed to do? 

He certainly couldn't ride to the palace tomorrow and request an audience with the King and Queen. Emma would most certainly tell her parents about him, about his fake death, about his new life as a pirate Captain. He would be arrested before he could even step foot in the castle. 

Then how would he explain? How would he tell them of Liam's insanity? Of his desertion? How could he tell them that his brother had taken a dangerous mission from a dangerous man and didn't make it out alive? Or that when his brother died, he went dark, became a pirate, and went up against all sorts of authority? That for six of the seven years since, he honestly believed that Snow White was the one who sent them on the deadly mission? That the only reason he hadn't come back to do horrible things here was because he didn't want to hurt Emma? 

And for what? Last year he had been idling in his cabin when he noticed a loose board. Why he hadn't noticed it before, he didn't know, but prying it open and finding his brother's journal was a huge blow. It hadn't been Snow White to send them on the mission, but a sick and twisted man who wanted nothing more than to kill the Queen for some offense Killian imagined she never actually committed (the man, he would later learn, was the King's adopted father, an old king who let greed blacken his heart). He vowed to get revenge. To come home and explain everything. To plead for their forgiveness. And most of all, he vowed to come back and make sure Emma was happy.

But she wasn't happy. She was angry and bitter, and she had every reason to be. She apparently spent most of her nights drinking in the tavern (according to the barkeep, who seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place him). And when she had looked at him, he saw the disgust in her eyes, the hate she must have felt towards him. It hurt. Of course it hurt. For years, he watched her grow from a messy, tomboyish child into the makings of a proper princess. He watched her laugh as she learned to use a sword. He watched her smile as he helped her learn to dance. From mud-streaked cheeks to frilly pink dresses, she had been his everything when they were growing up. 

He joined his brother's crew for her. He needed to become a man worthy enough for her, so that when he returned, and she was of age, he could ask her parents for permission to court her. So he could spend the rest of his life with her. He knew it was love when he left at seventeen. He felt it in every fiber of his being. And yet he allowed his pain and his rage to blind him to what he should have known.

He should have known that something was off with Liam that fateful summer day when he said they would be riding into the storm. He should have known that someone sinister was pulling the strings. He should have known that Snow White, the fairest woman in all of the realms would never have done something so underhanded as to send his brother on such a dangerous mission. He should have known that things would never be the same. His little duckling had blossomed into the beautiful swan, just as he always knew she would.

But that swan hated him, and he couldn't blame her.  
***  
Killian didn't know what he was expecting the next night when he walked into the tavern and Emma wasn't there. The man at the bar put an entire bottle of rum down in front of him when he sat. So he drank. 

"You know." He looked up when the man stopped in front of him. There was a lull in patronage tonight, and he was sure it was his, or his crew's, fault, but there wasn't much he could do about it now. "If you come here, she won't."

Killian let out a slight sigh and shrugged his shoulders a little. "Figured as much."

"I've never seen her react like that. You must have said something to her to push her off the edge." The man wiped down the bar and watched Killian, eyes wary. "Do you often anger girls you meet?"

So this man hadn't caught that Emma and Killian knew each other? Was he just imagining the sense of familiarity he felt when he looked at him the night before? Maybe he could use it to his advantage. "I've never met a girl who rejected my flirtations, let alone so fiercely before."

The man arched a brow, but he chuckled softly. "Emma is a special lady." He paused, as though he was choosing his words carefully. "As I mentioned last night, she comes here quite often. Almost nightly for the past three years or so." He shrugged and leveled his gaze on Killian. "That girl has suffered in ways I can't comprehend." 

"What does that mean?" Killian leaned forward. "She seemed a bit...distant, but she certainly doesn't look like a girl who's suffered."

"I don't know much." The man cleaned some mugs, glancing at the door as it opened and one of the locals entered. When he looked back at Killian, he was frowning slightly. "She lost someone important to her when she was...I think she said thirteen."

Killian sighed a little. "Everyone's lost someone important, so what makes that any different than the rest of us?"

"The one she lost was her betrothed, apparently." The man arched a brow when Killian flinched. "Died at sea, or some such. You probably set off some bad memories for her." He walked away to serve others.

Killian rolled the neck of the bottle between his fingers and looked down at the bar. He never remembered making such a promise before he left. He knew the king would let him court her when he returned, but was a potential engagement set in stone? Did Emma just assume, or was there something more? Did that explain why she said he had committed such an offense against her? A friend lying was bad enough, but the betrayal of a lover was worse. And while he knew he loved her, he never told her, and he never actually considered that she could have felt the same way, not when she was young.

"Lately, she's been drinking more." The man was back, his words snapping Killian out of his thoughts. "Said her parents are going to make her marry soon." 

Was he imagining it, or was the barkeep glaring at him? "Soon?"

"Before her next birthday, I believe. Whenever that is." He walked away again.

Killian's eyes narrowed a little. Her birthday was shortly after summer ended, and with winter having passed, there would only be a few months left. If he was going to fix this, he would have to do it soon. But he would have to see her first, and the likelihood of that happening was slim. 

Or was it?

He waited until sundown to come out here, convinced that he would be taken in by guards, but even as he walked past them on the way to this tavern, none of them paid him any more mind than a slight nod or a scoff. None of them stopped him. Maybe she didn't tell anyone? Maybe there was still hope.

"If you come tomorrow..." The man was back. "Come later. She usually comes in right around this time. If she's here, she'll sit on that stool in against the wall." He nodded towards it. "She'll wear the same dress she wore last night, she'll hide her hair under that hood, and she'll watch the room." 

"Why are you telling me this?" Killian's brows lifted as he regarded the man.

"Because in three years, I've never once seen her show any other emotion other than sadness. She's never talked to anyone but me and occasionally one of the barmaids. And she's certainly never willingly walked over to a table to initiate anything." The man stared at him. "You had an effect on her."

"I don't think it was a good one." He snorted at the man.

"No, but it was one." There was a pause before the man leaned forward enough and dropped his voice. "If you want to save her, become the man you used to be, Killian. Show her that. Make her remember why she needed you, and make her forget that you lied to her."

"What? How?" Killian stood so abruptly the stool fell to the floor.

Several others in the tavern turned to look at them, but the barkeep chuckled as Killian scrambled to pick up the stool. "Really, lad. I'm hurt. Has all of that black around your eyes damaged your brain? It's bad enough the little miss doesn't recognize me, but you were older, your memory should be better."

So he had known this man before? He stared at him for a long moment, his eyes narrowing a little before he caught it. The subtle scar almost hidden by the man's beard. A scar he received during sword lesson gone wrong. "Richard...?" His eyes widened. "It's you, isn't it?"

"Ah. You still have something working up there." Richard chuckled, but the mirth didn't last long. He leaned forward again and frowned. "You could have been more tactful about it, you know. But if you want Emma to listen to you, you have to get her to want to listen to you. So come without your men and without that wretched scowl. Do you want to scare her away?"

"And you really think she'll be here tomorrow?"

"I would bet on it. In fact, I'm sure she'll be back every day for the next week."

"Why would that be?"

"There's a ball next week. By the end of the night, Emma must choose her new betrothed."

Killian's fists clenched and he grumbled. 

"So you best be prepared to win her trust back, and quickly at that, or she will choose a man at her parents' insistence, and it won't be you."


	3. Resolve

"What's wrong, dear?" Snow sat down on the bench next to her daughter, causing her to jump a little. 

Emma had locked herself in her room most of the day, though she had come out for dinner. She thought no one had seen her sneak into the library, but here she was, her mother looking at her with that worried expression she seemed to wear more often than not. She tried to smile, but she couldn't. She simply looked at her, and the tears overflowed and spilled down her cheeks.

"Emma!" Snow pulled her daughter into her arms and sighed. "What happened?"

Emma's arms weakly moved around Snow's back and her shoulder shook as she tried to hold it in. She had done so well this morning, but that was only because she didn't want to worry her parents. She didn't want puffy eyes, or tear-stained cheeks. She didn't want to let them know anything was wrong, but holding it in was too much. "I'm sorry." She managed between short gasps for air.

"What are you sorry for?" Snow pulled back a little and cupped Emma's cheeks in her hands, brushing her tears away with her thumbs. "Did you drink too much at the tavern again last night?"

Emma shook her head slowly. She knew it. Her mother was totally aware of her little trips to town, but she didn't even care about that. She didn't have the energy to care about it. "I don't drink that much..." She managed. "How long have you known?"

"Since the first night, dear. You're not exactly stealthy." Snow smiled softly and finished wiping her tears. "Your father followed you the first few, but since Richard was there, he stopped worrying."

Emma looked at her, confusion crossing her features momentarily before her eyes widened. "He's that Richard? He must think I'm an idiot." She sighed a little and bowed her head. In three years, she never once thought he was anything other than a friendly bartender. She never even registered that slight feeling like she might have known him. When it tugged at her, it was washed away by whatever she drank. 

"No." Snow pulled Emma back into her arms and gently smoothed her hair. "Now, do you want to tell me what this is about? Or are you still in your rebellious stage?"

She felt ridiculous, leaning against her mother like this at her age, but she always felt better knowing her mother still wanted to treat her like her child. Sometimes they all got so caught up in their roles that they lost this, but they always came back to it. This time was no exception, and knowing that her parents knew about her little night-trips eased at least one thought in her mind. However, that left more room for the other problem that arose. Should she tell her she saw Killian last night? And if she did, should she say what he'd become? 

But if she told them, they'd send guards after him, wouldn't they? They'd throw him in a cell and he'd probably be executed for his crimes, whatever they were. She already mourned him once, and no matter how much she hated him for crushing her everything, she didn't think she could take it if she had to mourn him again.

"It's the ball next week..." She lied, keeping her head on her mother's shoulder. She winced a little at the silence that followed her words. "Never mind." She started to sit up. "It's stupid." 

"It's not stupid." Snow said before Emma could stand, causing her daughter to look at her. "You don't want to marry someone you don't love, right?"

Emma nodded slowly and the tears began to form again, but she blinked them back. It was as good an excuse as any. Of course, up until last night, she had resigned herself to the fact that she would have no choice but to marry someone she didn't love, as her love had died. But if she could get her mother to believe that was the source of her pain, she would keep the ruse up as long as possible. 

"I understand that well enough..." Her mother said, nodding once. "But I think your father understands that a little better than I do. I was never betrothed to anyone but him, but he almost had to marry Princess Abigail."

"But he didn't have to marry her." Emma sighed. "He got to marry you." She stood and looked at her. "Why do I have to get married at all?" She wiped the tears as they began to fall again. "The only one I want to marry is Killian." She choked.

"Killian is dead, Emma. He's been dead for a long time." Snow sighed and looked at her daughter, her own tears coming to her eyes. 

"No he's not!" Her eyes widened and clapped her hands over her mouth just as soon as she said it. She stared at her mother, who stared right back with that same wide-eyed expression. She didn't mean to let it out, but in her frustration the words just came.

"What do you mean he's not?" Snow stood. "You know as well as I do that he died in that storm."

Before she could say any more, Emma turned and ran from her mother, ignoring her calls as she dodged servants and ran into her room, slamming and locking the door behind her. She leaned back against it and sobbed a bit.

"Emma! Open this door!" Snow called as she pounded on the door a little. "Don't make me get your father!"

"I don't care!" Emma yelled back and dove onto her bed, pulling her pillow over her head in an attempt to drown out her mother's voice and the banging. When it stopped, she sat up. She knew her father would be coming, and he would kick the door down if she didn't let him in, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to talk about it, and she stupidly let it slip. Her mother would never let it go now. 

"Emma?" There was a hesitant knock at the door. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Her father's voice was soft, as it always was at first. If she ignored him, he would get agitated and knock louder, then threaten to break the door down, and if she still didn't open it, he would make good on the threat.

Emma winced and slowly walked to the door. "Please don't make me open it, Dad..." 

"Then do you want to talk to me through the door? Your mother is really worried about you."

That would be no good. Talking through the door meant acknowledging that she was shutting everyone out. That would only make her feel guiltier than she already did. She hesitated, but she slowly unlocked and opened the door a little. "You can come in..." She saw her mother standing behind him and opened the door wider. "Both of you..." She wouldn't look at either of their faces.

"Emma..." Snow sighed and hugged her again. "Please don't run from me like that."

"I'm sorry..." Emma sniffled a little and stepped back, sitting listlessly on the bed and bowing her head, her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry."

Her father sat next to her and rested his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it a little. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

She shook her head. Of course she didn't want to tell him. She was sure her mother already told him what she said, which is why he was extra careful with her right now. She sat there in silence for a long time. Neither of her parents pushed her, a first. Normally they would try to coerce her into talking, but they just sat there. Her father kept his hand on her shoulder, and her mother gently rubbed her back, just as they both had done when they heard the news seven years ago. "Killian isn't dead..." She said softly after a long stretch of silence, her fingers clutching at the fabric of her skirt. "I saw him."

"Did you?" Her father's voice was more concerned than before. "Are you certain it was him?" Although he was questioning her, there was no doubt in his tone.

"Yes." Emma lifted her head and looked at him, the tears falling yet again. "Yes I'm certain." They believed her, didn't they? They wouldn't think she was crazy?

"When?" Her mother kept rubbing her back, but took one of her hands as well. 

"Last night...At the tavern." She winced a little and bowed her head again, waiting for the scolding that was sure to come. But there was nothing. Both of her parents just sat there silently, and when she lifted her head to look at them again, they both had the same concerned expression on their faces. 

"I'm going to give that man a piece of my mind." 

"David, please..." Snow shook her head. Emma rarely heard her mother use her father's name. Usually she called him Charming, like everyone else seemed to, but when it was David, it was a serious thing. "Don't make it worse." 

Anger started to lace her father's voice, but he still kept a gentle hand on her shoulder. "How could he come back here after making us all think—" 

"I slapped him." Emma interrupted.

That seemed to calm him a little. "Did you?" He managed a smile and rubbed Emma's shoulder a bit. "Was it a good one? Did his head turn?"

"Yeah, I hit him pretty hard." Emma looked at him. "It's okay. He didn't do anything to me. He wouldn't have had the chance. I ran away after that."

Her father chuckled. "That's my girl." He smiled softly and rubbed her shoulder a little. "What do you want me to do about it? Do you want me to go deal with him?"

While it would be helpful to have her father's backup, she wasn't ready to let him know that Killian was a pirate now. She certainly wasn't going to let him know what Killian had said to her before he recognized her (and that flirtatious tone still resonated with her. Of course it would—she never stopped loving him after all). She didn't want to run the risk of her father doing what a father did best when a man hurt his daughter.

"Don't do anything." She said softly. "This is my problem." She looked at him before looking at her mother. "I mean it. I doubt I'll ever see him again anyway. I was pretty mean to him."

"All right." Snow hugged her a little before standing. "But please...don't keep any more secrets from us, okay?"

Emma nodded a little and watched the two of them leave. Once the door shut, she fell back to the bed and closed her eyes. This was horrible. She didn't want them to know, and now they did. And they seemed to accept it way too easily. What if they didn't listen to her and they went looking for him? What if they dragged him back here? She didn't want to see him, but she did want to see him.

She sighed and slid off the bed, walking to the balcony and stepping outside, resting her hands on the rail and looking out at the water. She absolutely wanted to see him again, but what if he already left? She needed to know why he lied to her, even if she didn't really want to know. She needed to let him see just what he did to her. She wanted him to feel the same pain she felt for seven years. Emma never thought of herself as a vindictive girl, but she also never thought she'd be thrown away like that.

Tomorrow, she would go back to the tavern. Tomorrow, if Killian even showed up, she would give him a piece of her mind. Tomorrow, she would end this and get her closure once and for all.


	4. Disbelief

Killian pushed open the door of the tavern and scanned the room. Richard was right: if he came later than the night before, he would be more likely to catch Emma. And there she was, sitting at the last seat against the wall, her back against it as she watched the room. Her hood was up, but a few golden strands poked out from behind the fabric. He couldn't quite make out her face in the shadows, but that dress was the same one she wore two nights earlier.

He steeled himself and took slow, purposeful steps towards her. He watched her, waiting for her to notice, and when she did, he held her gaze until he sat on the stool next to her. She turned her head away from him once he sat, but her hands came up and pulled that hood down. For a moment he stared, caught up in how beautiful she had become, but when her eyes met his again, they were cold. There was no trace of anger, or any other emotion, in her expression. 

"I was hoping you'd be here." He said, glancing at Richard long enough for the man to see him and bring over a bottle. He looked back at Emma and pulled a flask from inside his coat, uncorking it and refilling it without looking away from her face.

She just looked back at him, no change in her expression.

Re-corking the bottle, he took a swig from his flask and offered it to her. She arched one brow at him before taking it and drinking as well. He expected her to cough, or make a face, or something, but she just handed it back to him and wiped a spare drop off her lip with her thumb. "You didn't come here looking for me to share a bottle of rum, did you? If so, this is a waste of my time. I have more important things to do."

"Like what?" Killian leaned forward a little and dropped his voice. "Find a husband?" He smirked at her. If she was going to look at him so coldly, he wasn't going to make this easy for her. He knew he should be nicer, since this was technically his fault, but he couldn't help himself. That pirate attitude was harder to shake than it was to take on. "Clearly you had nothing better to do if you came here and waited for me."

Emma rolled her eyes and leaned in. Her voice was much softer when she spoke this time, but it still lacked any inflection. "If you're trying to get a rise out of me, Killian, you're not going to succeed. Yes. I have to find a husband, and I will. I don't see how that's any of your concern." 

She was right. He was trying to get a rise out of her, and it did fail. Instead, she turned it right around on him. He frowned a little and took another drink. "I got quite a rise out of you the other night."

"Because you caught me off guard." She said simply, leaning back against the wall and turning her head enough to look past him. "Anyone would be surprised and angry to see someone they thought had died." He thought he saw pain flash in her eyes, but if it was there, she masked it almost instantly. Her walls were up, and they were high. He was going to have to pull them down if he was to get anywhere with her.

"And hurt." He narrowed his eyes. "Hurt enough to slap me. Quite hard, might I add. My cheek stung for hours."

Emma let out a little puff of air. "That hurt?" She turned back to him and narrowed her eyes just slightly. There it was. Some of that anger from the other night was coming back. "A slap from a weak girl hurt the big bad pirate captain?"

"Oh, you may be a girl, love, but weak is not a word I would use to describe you." He reached out quickly and took her hand, lifting it to the cheek she had slapped. "You had enough strength to knock my head sideways."

She frowned and tried to pull her hand back, but his grip was too strong. "I can slap you with my other hand, you know."

So he grabbed that one, too. "Now you can't slap me at all." He smirked and leaned in. "Really, lass. You shouldn't try to play a game with a pirate. You'll never win." His smirk widened when she struggled a little more. 

"Let me go." She frowned. 

"No."

"I'll scream." 

Killian leaned in until his nose brushed against hers, his voice a growl of a whisper. "Threaten that again, love, and I'll make sure your mouth is too occupied to utter any sound." He was going to get a rise out of her for that one.

Emma's eyes widened, both at his proximity and at his declaration. "You...you wouldn't." Her voice squeaked a little, and her cheeks started to turn pink. Good. Some of her defenses were crumbling. He just needed to push a little more.

"Would you like to try me?" He whispered, his eyes half closing. 

She stared at him, her mouth opening, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she shrank back, but didn't get very far, since she was already against the wall. Her breath was a bit shaky, and he could see she was trying to keep herself calm, but she wasn't succeeding. 

"What will it be, Swan?" 

"D-don't call me that." She whimpered a little.

It would have been so easy to just push forward and close that distance, and at that whimper, Killian was sorely tempted to take her mouth, but he needed to be patient. He couldn't risk her breaking down even more. She would never listen to him then. But he could push her a little, couldn't he? "But it's fitting, isn't it?" He pulled his face back to give her space, but he still held her wrists. "You are quite beautiful." He smirked when she stared at him, cheeks red, eyes wide. 

"Why...?" She whispered, looking away from him as though she didn't want to see him when he answered.

"Why what, love? Why does it fit you? I just told you. Why are you beautiful? Because you are. All green eyes and golden hair." He let go of her wrists only to reach out and twist a little of her hair between his fingers. "Soft features, smooth skin." He smirked. "Kissable lips...Definitely more beautiful than I imagined."

"No..." She glanced at him. "Why are you here? Why...did you lie?" She shivered when his fingers brushed against her neck as he continued to twist and twirl her hair.

There it was. If she was asking him, that meant she wanted to know. It meant he had broken through to her on some level. Killian stopped playing with her hair and let it fall from his fingers. "That is quite the tale. I'm not sure you want to hear it." He leaned back and took another drink from his flask.

Emma's fingers fiddled with her skirt and she bowed her head. "And if I do?"

"This isn't the place for that kind of discussion." He refilled the flask again and put some coins on the bar. "If you truly want to know, then come with me." He tucked the flask inside his coat and stood, holding a hand out to her. 

Emma looked around, but she took his hand and stood. "I want to know all of it." She whispered. Her hand trembled a little, so he squeezed it gently, and the trembling seemed to stop.

Killian clicked his tongue and tugged her behind him, pulling her out of the tavern. "I will tell you everything." He said as he led her down to the docks. "But won't your parents worry when their precious princess doesn't return tonight?" He looked over his shoulder at her and winked.

"W-what?" She yelped when his pace quickened and she had to scramble to keep up. "All night?"

"That depends on you, love." He helped her up onto his ship. "If you trust me or not." 

"How can you even ask me that?" Emma winced a little when some of the crew members saw her, and she moved closer to Killian, gripping his hand.

"I need you to trust me, Emma." He murmured as he helped her down the ladder, glad to get her out of sight. He pulled the hatch closed to silence some of the whistles and murmurs he heard from his men. While the guise of a romp of pleasure would keep them at bay for a night, he didn't have to like the way some of the men looked at her. 

"But Killian..." She let go of his hand and looked around, her eyes wide. "You're asking a lot from me."

"You must trust me on some level, or you wouldn't have come with me, or come in here so easily." He watched her as he leaned back against the ladder, crossing his arms. "It isn't very ladylike to come into a man's bedroom, alone. Especially when that man is a pirate."

Emma whirled around and stared at him. "You're not going to...are you?"

"What if that was my intention all along?" He took a step forward. "To lure the princess into my bed?" Another step. He grinned when she backed away from him, right to his bed. She squeaked and fell back on it, almost knocking her head against the wall. He closed the distance, stepping between her knees, trapping her there. He lowered himself, his hands coming to rest on the wall on either side of her head. She stared up at him, blushing just as she had in the tavern. Her breath was already a little ragged, and her chest rose and fell more quickly than before.

"Would you like me to, Emma?" He leaned in and his grin widened. "I can make you forget about finding someone else." But he stopped before he got too close. His eyes scanned her face before he made a show of looking lower, his eyes lingering on her chest before he looked back at her face. "You have grown into quite the woman, you know." 

Emma continued to stare up at him, and when he looked her over, the blush spread from her cheeks, down her neck. Her breath pitched, and she forced herself to turn her head to the side. "Killian...please."

He chuckled and stepped back, pulling the unbroken chair away from the table and sitting on it. He sat back a little, one arm resting on the table as he drummed his fingers on its surface. He kept pushing it, and each time she was closer to being his again. The thought made him grin slightly. After all, he only had a week to win her heart before she chose someone else. "What would you like to know first, beautiful?"

Emma caught her breath and seemed to calm down. She straightened herself up, sitting more properly on his bed, her hands folded in her lap. "I told you."

"Yes yes, all of it. But surely there's something you want to know above all else?" One brow lifted. She looked right at him, and it looked like she might be thinking about it, but she didn't answer. 

After a long, somewhat awkward silence in which they simply looked at each other, she nodded once, and her expression hardened. "You hate me, don't you?"

That question took him by surprise, and his eyes widened. Is that what she honestly thought? If anything, she was the one who hated him, wasn't she? "Not in the slightest. I may be a pirate, but I am a gentleman. I would never make advances if I hated you."

"Then why did you lie and stay away? If you didn't hate me, why did you let me...let us all think you were dead?" The hardened expression cracked, but she blinked back any tears that may have been forming in her eyes. 

Killian shook his head and leaned forward, his arms dropping to rest on his legs. He held her gaze when he answered, knowing that if he looked into her eyes, she would have no choice but to believe the sincerity of his words. "It was my affection for you that kept me away. Had I not loved you so strongly when I left, I would have come back."

"So you broke my heart and destroyed everything I knew to be true because you love me? That's the biggest lie I've ever heard." But she kept looking into his eyes, biting her lower lip. He knew somewhere she knew he wasn't lying, but he didn't blame her for not wanting to believe it. It did sound ridiculous after all. He loved her, so he never came back. If she had said it to him, he'd have a hard time believing it, too.

"Do you know why I joined the navy?" 

"You idolized Liam?" 

He shook his head. "No. Not quite." He looked away for a moment, lifting a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. "The day before I left, I had quite an exhausting conversation with your father."

"Did he make you go?" She was leaning forward now, her hands gripping the edge of the bed. "Did he force you to leave? I knew he didn't like that we were friends!" There was a slight pout on her lip, and for a moment she resembled that cute little twelve year old who used to cling to his arm and complain when he didn't visit her every day.

Killian chuckled. It was so like her to jump to conclusions like that. "No, darling." He looked back at her and scooted his chair closer, so when he looked up at her, with the way she was leaning, they were mere inches apart. "It is because he liked me so much."

"That doesn't make sense." 

"Of course it does." He rested a hand on her knee and grinned. "How could a lowly man like me expect to court a princess when she came of age? He gave me an opportunity to raise my standing. If I moved up in ranks. If I came back as a lieutenant, I could court you."

She stared at him, her mouth open. 

He chuckled again and patted her knee. "So that's that, no? Does that satisfy your curiosity about what my feelings were when I left?"

She managed a little nod. "Then. Eight years ago, when you left." Her eyes dropped, and she gripped the edge of the bed even harder, her knuckles whitening. "But...not now..."

And that was another wall down. It was working, wasn't it? If he could convince her to look at him with the same eyes she used to, she could fall for him again, couldn't she? Then he could apologize to her parents. He could make her as happy as he had planned all those years ago. Killian moved his hand from her knee to rest it over one of her hands. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles as if that would cause her to loosen her grip. "Did I say anything about my feelings changing, love?" He whispered and leaned in, turning his head up a bit. He was so close, but he did nothing but look into her eyes, as much as he wanted to just kiss her. "I have become a horrible man, and I am not even remotely worthy of your time, let alone anything else, but the decision I made seven years ago, the path I took between then and now, was guided by that feeling."

"You love me?" Emma's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at him. "Do you know how insulting that sounds? You became a horrible man. A criminal. A pirate because you love me?" She frowned. "You abandoned me and let me think you died because you love me?" 

"When you say it like that, it sounds really bad." There was no hint of humor in his expression. Normally he would have laughed it off, or tried to flirt and grin, but now, he just looked up at her, sincere. "That is not what I mean. I stayed away so you would not see the how much I had fallen. I stayed away because if you knew the me that existed even a year ago, you would absolutely hate me." He lifted his other hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing against it to catch one of the tears that fell. "That, my precious swan, would surely kill me."


	5. Welcome

Emma sat there, her mind reeling from what little Killian already told her. 

All it took was the idea that he loved her to melt the ice that had been lodged in her heart for seven years. She stared down at him, almost completely unaware of the hand on her cheek, of his proximity. The only thing she was consciously aware of was the pair of vibrant blue eyes that looked into her own. She could feel the heat travel from her cheeks and down her neck, through her chest and lower. She could feel the slow thud of her heart quicken the longer she looked at him.

But she knew she shouldn't let herself fall into his trap. He was a pirate. Of course it would be in his best interest to win over the princess. What if he planned on kidnapping her? Her father would go after him, and then what? A duel? If either of them died...

Her breath caught in her throat and she lifted her hands to his shoulders, pushing him back and jumping up. No. She wouldn't fall for him again. Not without absolute assurance that he meant everything he said. "If all of that is true..." She looked at him. "Then you'll come with me and explain yourself to my parents."

Her eyes narrowed a little when he made no move to stand up. He didn't say anything, but he didn't look like he was going agree to it either.

"Why?" He asked, a frown coming to his lips. His eyes were still locked on her. And it irritated her that he looked so good frowning, too. The heat in her stomach started to flutter. No. She needed to be stronger than this. She needed to make him feel the pain he caused her.

"Because I won't believe you if you don't prove it where you're at the greatest disadvantage." She started to walk to the ladder.

He grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "No."

Emma yanked away from him and whirled around to face him, her eyes hard again. There was no way he was going to come with her? Then he really was a liar, wasn't he? She knew it. "Then you don't love me."

Killian's brows lifted. "Oh? Then I would say the same is true for you." He crossed his arms and frowned. "Or you would not say something so cruel."

"You're calling me cruel? That's rich." Emma rolled her eyes. "I want you to prove your feelings. I want you to put yourself at a disadvantage, just as I have by coming here. If you refuse to do that, then at least I know how much of a liar you are." She stared at him, frowning. 

"You wish for my execution, then?" His frown deepened. 

"What? No. Did all that rum make you stupid?" 

"That would be the natural conclusion if a pirate of my infamy tried to step into a royal court." 

Killian scowled at her, but she didn't let her expression change. She simply mirrored his posture: crossing her own arms over her chest and looking at him. "You said it yourself, didn't you? My father liked you enough to suggest that you should rank up before coming back to court me." She arched a brow. "A captain ranks higher than a lieutenant, or am I wrong?"

She smirked when Killian's stern expression cracked and he stared at her with wide eyes. She knew she was right. Based on what he said to her earlier, rank was the only thing her father specified, not alignment. And when the realization hit Killian, he grinned a bit. "Oh? Are you suggesting that your father will not object to my change of profession?"

"If you think my father is such an unreasonable man as to not hear you out, then by all means, stay here and let me go home." Emma uncrossed her arms and stepped closer to him, one finger poking his chest lightly, right where he stopped buttoning his buttons (she probably should have poked his shoulder instead, but in trying to be more effective, she ended up being the one affected). "But if you meant what you said, and your reason for leaving meant that much to you, prove it." She stepped back to the ladder and arched a brow at him. "Unless, Captain, you are perfectly content to let another man win my hand?"

"Absolutely not." He muttered. Emma knew she was baiting him, and he took it. She was rather pleased with his response, but she wouldn't let him see her satisfaction. "I will absolutely not let another man take such a treasure from me." He stepped towards her. "I will go with you."

"Good." Emma stepped aside to let him ascend the ladder first. The last thing she wanted was to step on deck first, especially since she suspected his crew was all lingering around to see what would happen. When he looked at her, she just motioned for him to go first.

He climbed and waited for her, taking her hand and helping her up the rest of the way, but he didn't let go once they were up. He didn't let go once they walked off the ship. He didn't let go even as they left the docks and headed back to the tavern. "You don't mean to walk the entire way back, do you?" He looked at her. 

"Oh no. I have my horse." She smiled innocently and pulled her hand from his, walking a bit ahead of him. "You will have to walk."

"You're taking great pleasure in this, aren't you?" 

"Well, maybe you can convince Morgan here to let you borrow one of the horses until tomorrow?" Emma kept up that innocent look for a moment longer before she murmured a 'good evening' to the stable boy as she passed him.

Killian threw his hands in the air and followed her. "You are cruel." He muttered as he helped her mount. "As you wish, my lady."

Emma grinned at him and shook her head. "Morgan?" 

The boy came over with another horse, looking at Killian expectantly. "Just get her back by sundown tomorrow, sir." The boy said before going back to his duties.

Emma couldn't help but laugh at the clear discomfort on Killian's face as he mounted and tried to get situated. "Oh, I forgot. You must be horrible at this by now, Captain." She grinned and started ahead, listening to his curses with some amusement as he managed to get used to it. When he caught up to her, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You will tell my father the truth, won't you?"

"Believe it or not, Swan, that was my original plan. It just was rerouted after that slap you gave me the other night." Killian shook his head. "I was certain you'd have me arrested after that."

"I could have." Emma shrugged slightly. "I did tell them I saw you. If I wanted you arrested, you'd be in the dungeon right now."

"And you spared me?"

"What good would it do to have you tossed into a cell?" She looked at him a little more before she moved a bit ahead of him. She didn't want him to see the way her cheeks started to darken again. He looked too good at the moment, and she wasn't going to be able to keep herself in check if she let her gaze linger too long. "My father was incredibly angry, you know. I told him to let me handle it, as it's my problem. Luckily for you, he agreed."

"Well, I thank you for the consideration." He chuckled.

She was tempted to slow down again, or turn around to look at him, but she kept her gaze steady on the road ahead of them. The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Not that she didn't have anything to say, but she was working out the encounter with her parents. While she was sure they would listen, she wasn't sure how they would react, especially since she didn't actually know why Killian made the decisions he did. All she knew was why he left, and why he stayed away (if he meant it when he said the reason he didn't return in those seven years was to spare her feelings), but the other motives, the actions—all of it was rather unclear. And what of Liam? He hadn't said anything about that. Did he die in the storm Emma always thought Killian died in?

She shook her head a little as the gates opened and they were let inside. She dismounted and waited for Killian to do the same. She watched him carefully as they walked, not because she thought he would do anything underhanded (there were too many guards here, after all), but because the way he looked at everything was almost endearing. He hadn't been here in eight years, so the way his head moved as he took everything in was actually pretty cute.

While he looked around, she waved a guard over and spoke lowly to him, sending him to go fetch her parents. They were probably asleep, which meant they'd both be rather cranky at being disturbed. She could have waited until morning, but her parents would be furious if she set Killian up in a room without telling them he was here.

She coughed a little to get his attention, and he stopped looking around the hall to gaze at her. "This way." She said and pointed down one of the side hallways. She waited for him to step back at her side before she started walking again. And again, he looked around just as he had before, but she shrugged it off and pushed open one of the large doors at the end of the hallway. She began lighting the candles, her eyes adjusting to the increasing light. 

"Why the library?" Killian asked as he looked around. 

"If I summoned my parents to the throne room, they would be even crankier than they're sure to be. Only the really serious business happens in there."

"But here?"

"Well, I couldn't bring you to their room. I can't bring you to mine." She caught the slight look of disappointment that crossed his face, but she shook her head. "I couldn't bring you to a guest chamber." She walked towards one of the benches. "But here is neutral ground. Here is where I'm most comfortable." She sat down and turned a little to look out the window.

Killian nodded and walked towards her. "Is that so?" He sat at her side and watched her, his gaze more intense than before.

She turned from the window to look at him, her hands resting in her lap as she arched a brow. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Just looking at you." He grinned. "You look even better in the candlelight, love."

Emma rolled her eyes and looked up when the door opened again. She stood and started towards it, stopping when both of her parents walked into the room. While her mother looked a bit tired, her father looked as awake as she's ever seen him. "Mother, Father..."

The king looked at her, opening his mouth to say something, but stopped when his eyes fell on Killian. The queen gasped and grabbed his hand. 

Killian stood and bowed. "Your Majesties." 

"You bastard." That was it. Emma yelped as her father pulled Killian up and held him by the collar, his anger flaring. "What have you done to my little girl?"

"David!" The queen ran over and grabbed his arm. "Let go of him! You promised Emma yesterday that you wouldn't do anything."

Emma watched with wide eyes. She watched her father almost choke Killian because of the way he grabbed his shirt. She watched Killian's hands come to her father's and try to pry them off. She watched her mother pull on her father's arm, trying to get him to stop. And she just let it happen. She just stood there and watched the way her father's nostrils flared with anger as he choked Killian, the way Killian's eyes were wide as he tried to ask to be let go, the way her mother's eyes filled with tears as she couldn't get her husband to let go. She sighed and looked at them.

"Daddy, please stop."

Like magic, the king let Killian's collar go and he dropped to the floor, coughing. Her mother moved to check on him, but her father grabbed her wrist and held her back. 

So Emma did it. She moved to Killian's side and crouched. "Are you okay?"

"As well as I can be given that your father just tried to kill me." Killian coughed out and glared up at the king.

"I wouldn't have killed you." Her father glared. "I would have just choked you enough for you to pass out."

"David. Calm down." The queen sighed and hugged his arm a little.

Emma stood once she was sure Killian was breathing all right. "This is why I had you come here." She crossed her arms and frowned. "Are you trying to make me mad? You promised me. And I promised him that it would be fine if he came here with me."

"I couldn't help it." The king pouted just slightly. "You were crying so much yesterday, Emma."

"I know, but I'm not crying now am I?" 

Killian chuckled a little and straightened himself up. "Well, at least the over-protectiveness hasn't changed, has it Your Majesty?" He rubbed at his neck a bit and grinned at him.

"Anyway. I doubt you want to talk to him tonight. I doubt you'd listen after that fine display." Emma shook her head. "I'll bring Killian to a room."

"No. We talk now." Her father frowned. 

"David, it's really late, and we were asleep." Snow sighed. "Can't this wait until morning when you've gotten more rest and you haven't just tried to choke the consciousness out of him?" She looked up at him. "We can all talk over breakfast, can't we?" She smiled just slightly.

Emma rolled her eyes as she watched her father completely melt at her mother's expression. "Gross." She muttered. 

"Fine." The king agreed and looked at Emma. "You can bring him to a room." He looked at Killian. "And you will stay in it until I come to get you in the morning, got it?"

"Of course." Killian bowed, keeping his eyes down until the door opened and closed again.

Emma shook her head and looked at him. "Are you really okay?" She stepped closed once he straightened up, leaning in to get a look at his neck. "He didn't hurt you too badly, did he?"

"No, he didn't. He looked rougher than he was." Killian grinned. "Why, worried?"

"No." Emma said a bit too quickly and winced a little at how stupid that sounded. Of course she was worried. Killian obviously knew if he asked the way he did. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of owning up to it. "Come with me." She started walking towards the door.

Of course, that was until she felt him grab her wrist and yank her back against his chest. "And if I want to go to your room instead?" He whispered into her ear.

She shuddered a little, but managed to keep as calm as she could given the way he had her back pressed against his chest. "Then my father will kill you." She said and yanked herself out of his grasp and started walking again. 

"It might be worth it." He chuckled and followed her. "What if you stayed with me?"

"Same result." Emma glanced at him before blowing out the candles she lit earlier. "Please don't insult me by talking to me the way you might talk to some other woman." She frowned and opened the door. 

"I would never dream of talking to you in such a manner. Well, unless you wanted to hear it." Killian smirked and winked at her when she looked at him. "You might enjoy that kind of talk."

"I might enjoy watching my father kill you, too." Emma frowned at him. Of course he would start talking like that. He had to know it actually really irked her, since he could say it all so easily. It's not like she could ever say such things to someone, especially not someone she didn't love. Then again, he did say he loved her. However, she was certain he spoke like this with other women, and that idea just made her heart twist in her chest. Ice ran through her veins, and she clenched her fists.

"I wouldn't enjoy it, though." He chuckled a bit and kept at her side. For the rest of the walk through hallways and up staircases, he remained silent. 

Emma stopped in front of a room and opened the door. "Here." She stood at the door and waited for him to go in. "My father will get you in the morning. You better still be here." She looked at him, trying to impress upon him how angry she'd be if he went against that.

He stepped into the room and looked back at her. "I will stay, for you, love." He leaned forward. "Though perhaps you could make it worth my while with a goodnight kiss?" 

Emma shut the door in his face.


	6. Truth

Killian sat on the edge of the bed, his arms resting over his legs, head slightly bowed, though he stared at the door with a level of intensity that surprised even him. The sun had risen at least an hour ago, and he was beginning to grow impatient. He knew the King would be angry with him if he left the room before being fetched, but he also knew that the man was purposely making him squirm. The longer he had to sit and wait, the more nervous he got. What if this went badly? What if he was dragged to the stocks and humiliated for the crimes he had committed? What if Emma looked at him with actual disgust? 

Or maybe that was the look she gave him the night before when he tried to lighten the mood by flirting with her. She was clearly not amused by it, given the way she slammed the door in his face. He would have to find another way to get her to blush, though it would have to be something that wouldn't cause her father to wring his neck.

A sharp knock at the door caused Killian to leap off the bed and stand, body tense. The door opened, but rather than the imposing figure of the king standing in the doorway, it was Emma. Lovely, breathtaking Emma, in a soft green gown that, though it covered everything, was oddly sultry. Sure, it wasn't as showy and embellished as he would have expected to see on a princess, but it did more for her than any of those gem-studded gowns he had seen on ladies across the realm, and he found himself staring. Her blonde hair was pulled up, though a few wisps framed her face and neck. The small tiara on her head glittered in the sunlight, and as his eyes moved from it to hers, she arched one brow and looked at him with some level of boredom.

"If you're done staring, my father sent me to fetch you."

He blinked, as if that would clear his infatuation. He had found her lovely in the tavern, in those simple peasant clothes, but in this? He could barely formulate a coherent thought. "Uh."

"Did the lack of air last night make you stupid?" She crossed her arms, which she really shouldn't have done, since it accented one of her...larger assets. 

"Ah. No love." He shook his head and chuckled. "But I do believe His Majesty told me I am to stay in this room until he comes to get me, and what kind of Captain would I be if I disobeyed the orders of a king? No matter how tempting the alternative is." He looked her over once more, and he knew it had some sort of effect on her, since she uncrossed her arms and turned enough to avoid his gaze. 

"A Pirate Captain, which is what you are." She retorted, though there was a faint flush on her cheek. She kept herself turned away from him, but he could see the corner of her mouth twitch into what was probably a slight smile.

"Aye. That I may be, but I do have a code, and it would be bad form to go against the man I wish to impress. Especially when it comes to convincing him I have fulfilled his request." 

Emma turned to look at him again, and he just stood there as her eyes seemed to bore into him. Something must have satisfied her, because she nodded her head once and stepped out of the doorway. "See? I told you he wouldn't fall for it."

Killian arched a brow as the king entered the room and looked him over. So this was a test? And he passed? The king did look a little less angry than he was when he choked him the night before. "Your Majesty." He half bowed, though he made sure the act was as sincere as he could make it. A sarcastic bow at a time like this would have been a really bad idea.

"Well, at least you retained something of your old self in death, Jones." The king snorted and turned. "Come. We will discuss your idiocy over breakfast." With that, he left the room, though he paused long enough to look at Emma before he continued down the hallway.

"Don't be slow." Emma turned to follow her father.

Killian was faster. He reached out and grabbed her hand, preventing her from taking too many steps away from him. "At least let me escort you." 

She looked down at their hands, that blush coming to her cheeks again before she slowly (at least it seemed like that to him) pulled hers back. "If you're going to try to convince me, at least offer a proper escort."

He chuckled and offered her his arm. When she rested her hand in the crook of his elbow, he grinned at her, as it was the best way to mask his surprise that she actually took him up on it. He expected a sharp retort, or a push, or something, but instead she appeared to be in prim and proper mode. And while refreshing, Killian found himself almost preferring the brash and somewhat harsh behavior from the night before. That was a more genuine Emma than this perfect princess that seemed to float at his side as he walked with her.

"Good morning, Killian." The queen was waiting at the door to the dining hall, all smiles and pleasantries as usual. She had her hand on the king's arm, and while he did look a little more relaxed than earlier, his eyes were focused on Emma's hand on Killian's arm, and he grimaced a little.

Killian waited until Emma pulled her hand away from his arm before taking the queen's hand and bowing appropriately, kissing the back of her hand and looking up at her. "Your Majesty."

"I'll kill you, Jones." The king all but smacked the other man away from his wife, his eyes narrowing. For a moment, Killian thought he was serious with the way he huffed and practically slammed open the doors, but the queen's laugh as she followed her husband calmed him.

That, and Emma's hand rested on his harm. "Come on, Killian. You have a lot of explaining to do, and that little display may not have helped." She nudged him a bit.

He winked. "Just making sure I have at least one ally out of your parents. You know as well as I do that it's really your mother I have to convince." 

She rolled her eyes and stepped into the room. He watched as she approached her chair, but before he could get there to pull it out for her, one of the servants already had it ready. Killian clucked his tongue and went to the chair ready for him, sitting and trying not to let on how nervous he actually was. This was going to be the defining moment. He would either leave this room a free man or sent to the dungeon to await some sort of punishment. And even if he did leave in one piece, there was no guarantee he would be allowed to woo Emma as he had hoped.

Killian sat there patiently as servants brought out all sorts of breads, cheeses, and jams. He waited until the three of them had started to eat before he took some food for himself, but before he took a bite, the king cleared his throat, so he looked up at him.

"Tell us what happened." The king said, keeping his gaze steady. It was almost unsettling.

"Let him at least eat a little first, David." The queen shook her head and looked at Killian. "Don't mind him. He's just impatient because he is still angry about how many times you've made Emma cry."

Killian put down the roll and glanced over at Emma. She seemed completely unfazed by all of this, smearing some cheese and glancing up at him as if this sort of thing wasn't all that important.

"Well, I suppose I should start with Liam then..." He sighed and sat back in his chair a bit, lifting a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. "I honestly don't know what happened to make him what he was, but apparently he had been paid a hefty sum to betray you."

"What?" The queen gasped a little. "Liam did? I can't even imagine him doing such a thing."

"I know. Neither could I, which is why when we rode into the storm, on your orders according to Liam..." He looked pointedly at the queen and arched a brow. "I didn't even question it. I was sure you, of all people, would have had a reason to send us into that."

"She would never do that!" The king's fist hit the table. "That's ridiculous!"

"I am aware of that now, Your Majesty." Killian frowned. "I had just turned eighteen, so I was still just a lad, and I had such faith in Liam, as my captain, and especially as my brother. So of course I believed him. Why would he lie to me? Even if he lied to the crew, why his brother?" He shook his head just slightly. "And so when we made it out of the storm, half the crew and Liam himself either killed by debris or lost to the waves, I took over and defected. I was so consumed with rage that we rode to the southern realms, and I became the fearsome pirate captain that sits here before you."

He paused, glancing at each of them in turn. The queen stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth open and forming a small o, though no sound passed her lips. The king was sitting back in his chair, brows furrowed, but it did not seem to be in disbelief. Emma was just looking at him. She had no expression on her face, and since he couldn't quite get a read on her, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"And so who was this secret employer of your brother? Why come here now after seven years of letting us think you were dead?" The king leaned forward a bit. "And why not come before to get your revenge, if you were so blackened by rage that you became a criminal?"

"David..." The queen started.

"No, Snow. It doesn't make sense. If he was truly enraged because your orders killed his brother and half the crew, then I want to know the reason why he never came back to get revenge. It wouldn't be the first time someone's come after us."

"Ah that." Killian shrugged. "I simply didn't want to."

"You're lying." Emma's neutral expression had faded into a frown. "That's not what you told me, and even if you hadn't told me anything last night, I'd still know you're lying." 

He held his hands up. "Ah. Caught." He grinned and sent a wink her way, but it did nothing to dissuade the frown. "All right." It was going to be embarrassing, and it went against everything a pirate stood for, but he would be truthful for Emma's sake. "Honestly? As dark as I had become, I couldn't just throw away the idea that your family had been so good to me when I was growing up. You two practically raised me in my brother's absence, and I couldn't bring myself to come up against you."

"And the other reason?" Emma looked at him expectantly.

"Ah, you wish to embarrass me in front of your father, Swan? Perhaps you want him to know my weakness, so he can use it against me?"

"Tell them, _Captain_. 

The two royals looked at him expectantly. "For Emma." Killian glanced away from them, so that he couldn't see any looks of disgust or distain.

"For Emma?" The queen sounded more surprised than anything else. "What does that mean?"

Did she not know of his deal with the king before he left? Killian glanced back at the other man again, and he was looking at him with slightly wide eyes. He never told her! Should Killian do it? "Well..." He began, but stopped when the king lifted his hand. 

"Enough of this. I want to know who really sent you into that storm." 

"I want to know what he means about staying away for Emma." The queen turned to face Killian, leaning forward just a bit. "I imagine you told Emma last night, since she called you out on your lie, so tell me, Killian, what do you mean by that?"

"When I left, His Majesty promised me I could officially court Emma if I came back as a lieutenant." Killian glanced over at the king, who now had his hand over his face as if that would save him from whatever reaction the queen was about to give. "And so, when I became this, I did not want Emma to see what I had become. I wanted her to treasure a memory of me she could be proud of. And then we bumped into each other in the tavern, and..."

"David? Why have you never told me this?"

"I said court, not have." The king muttered from behind his hand.

"So you had no intention of actually letting Emma marry Killian if he came back and fulfilled your requirement?"

"I figured Emma might not necessarily want to. I mean she was only thirteen when he was supposed to come back, and then we thought he had died, and I realized how much Emma loved him, and I was actually too afraid to tell you." 

"Hmmm." The queen looked at the king for a bit longer, but her expression was the same, happy expression she had when they first entered the room to eat. "Well, I suppose he's more than earned the right to court her, given that he's now Captain Jones, hm? What do you think, Emma? Shall we let Killian court you?"

"What?" The king stood up abruptly. "But he's a pirate!"

"Yes, but still of high rank, and so I think he fulfilled your deal quite well. It just took him a lot longer to come back." She smirked at her husband before looking back to her daughter. "And besides, I promised Emma a long time ago that if she had someone she wanted to be with, and he was acceptable by your standards, I would allow it."

"But the ball..." The king was still standing.

"Why would that be a problem?" Emma finally spoke, and Killian looked over at her. She looked so calm and collected. "You're making me get engaged because I'm as old as I am, right? And I agreed because it was really the only option I had. So since all of these potential suitors are coming anyway, and I haven't actually chosen one yet, there shouldn't be any problem or hurt feelings. Every single one of those men is coming knowing that I will likely not pick them, given my reputation."

"And what reputation is that?" Killian was curious now, one brow lifting. "Do you turn into an ogre at night, or something?"

"That I reject everyone." She shrugged a little. "And I was planning on continuing that. The hope is for me to choose a betrothed, but the invitations may have gone out without that little bit of information included."

"You changed the invitations?" The queen actually laughed a little. "So the only ones who knew, and who would have expected a proposal were the two of us?"

Emma nodded, and Killian grinned just a bit. There was still a little bit of mischief in the princess, and he was glad for it. 

"So again, what's the problem?" She turned to her father and smiled. "If you still want me to choose someone, I will, but I'll tell you right now, it won't be any of the official guests."

The king was still standing. His fists were clenching and unclenching at his side, as if he couldn't decide whether to be angry or relieved at the new development. He was looking at Emma at first, but then his gaze rested on Killian, and his eyes narrowed a little before he seemed to relax. "All right, fine." He sat back down in the chair. "But only if the rest of his story satisfies me. Then I will hold up to my half of the deal."

"It was your father." Killian frowned.

"Eh?" That startled the king, probably more than he would have liked to admit. "I know he didn't like that I chose Snow over Abigail, but...that's a bit hard to believe."

"Is it?" The queen frowned. "How many things had he done to try to separate us or make us miserable. I certainly believe it, just like you'd believe it if Regina did any of it although she changed."

"I found my brother's journal last year, hidden behind a board, along with the money he had stashed there. And it was quite a sum. My ship is in top condition because of it." Killian smirked.

"We can't take this lying down, David." 

"I already handled it." Killian shrugged.

"How?" She looked at him.

"I am a pirate, Your Majesty." He looked at her. "And though I have done some very bad things, do you think I could forgive a man who caused my brother to become a greedy, twisted mess, and who caused me to hurt my most precious ones by faking my own death?" He grinned just slightly. "Besides, I needed some sort of token of my alliance." He yanked a chain off his neck and slid a ring off it, rolling it across the table to the king. "I am quite sorry for your loss."

He picked up the ring and looked it over. "This is certainly his." He looked at Killian. "So you killed him? That's not how we do things."

"That's not how you do things. That's how a pirate does things. Betrayal is death. I've killed several of my own men for lesser things."

"And I'm supposed to entrust my daughter to you?"

"She can hold her own, I assure you. My cheek stung for hours after that slap."

Emma's lips twitched a little as if she were trying to hide a smirk. "I'm just as good with a sword as you are, Daddy. Besides..." She looked over at Killian and this time her lips did curve upward, but into a smile instead. "He just said he stayed away because he wouldn't hurt me, or us." She picked up a piece of bread and bit into it, probably trying to end that discussion.

"Fine." The king groaned. "Fine! I could never win against either of you anyway, and trying to go against both of you is impossible." He sighed, a bit overdramatically, which caused the queen to laugh again before he looked at Killian once more. "I consent. But you and I will have a little talk later. Just us. We will discuss all of this in more detail, especially this." He held up the ring.

"Of course."

"Now, if you're to eventually become my son-in-law, you need to start learning a bit of princely decorum." The king grinned. "And you also need a bath." He glanced to the side and suddenly four servants were at Killian's seat, practically pulling him out of it.

"Hey! I can walk myself!" He tried to pull away from the four men, but they had him in a pretty firm grip. "I didn't even get to eat anything!" He tried to drag his feet as they pulled him out of the room.

The last thing he heard before the doors shut behind him was an "Oh. Oops. We'll send leftovers later."


	7. Revelation

Emma paced back and forth in the hallway outside of the room assigned to Killian. She heard his angered voice cussing out whichever servant was helping him at the time. It wasn't that he was particularly filthy (he was pretty clean and definitely as attractive as she thought he could possibly be), but he smelled a lot of salt and seaweed, and apparently that wouldn't do. Though she knew the real issue was his clothing, and she knew her father had sent in a particular uniform for him to wear to get used to wearing before the ball.

Another curse and a thud sounded before the door opened and the servants all but ran out of the room. She looked after them with a wry smile, but when she turned to step into the room to fetch Killian, her very breath caught in her throat. There he was, fidgeting in the official captain's uniform of the Royal Navy. All white and deep red: a stark contrast to the solid black leather he had been strutting around in.

"Swan, you need to convince your father that I cannot wear this." He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and pulled at the high collar of the doublet. He seemed to be so distracted by the uniform that he didn't notice the way Emma was staring at him or the light flush of color that came to her cheeks.

"No, that's not going to happen." She said, trying to force her voice steady. If Killian decided to flirt with her while he was dressed like that, she was absolutely done for, and she couldn't be just yet. She still hadn't forgiven him for abandoning her, or faking his death, or flirting with her the way he did in the tavern, or his ship, or even this very hallway the night before.

"Why not? This bloody thing is so uncomfortable. The colors are all wrong. The cloth is itchy."

"It's the official uniform. And right now my father is already at your ship making sure your crew gets similarly attired."

"What?" For a moment, anger seemed to swell into his voice, but when he looked at Emma, who simply stood there and looked at him like the most innocent of women, any hostile tone just faded away. "We're pirates, not part of his fleet."

"Well, technically you stole his ship and renamed it, so if he wants, he can force you and your men back into his service." Emma kept that innocent look on her face, even as she took a step towards him. "I wouldn't worry though. I don't think he plans on reinstating you into the Royal Navy. Then again, he was pretty particular about making sure everyone's measurements were just right, and that the uniforms were tailored in time for the ball. I see yours needs no work."

"Are. You trying to tell me you think I look dashing in this?" Killian grinned at her and took a step forward.

"I'm saying it looks like it fits." She offered him a polite smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, and from the slightly crestfallen look on his face, he didn't like that kind of smile. "But none of that. I'm here to fetch you."

"For what?"

"One, to make sure you eat, since you were unable to this morning. And two, your first lesson in princely decorum."

"I don't need any lessons in that, love. I am a gentleman."

"Ah yes. The way you pulled me to your chest and talked to me that first night in the tavern was truly a gentlemanly thing to do." Emma arched a brow.

"I didn't recognize you at first."

"Not that a reason like that makes it okay, but then there was your behavior on the ship, or last night, and you knew who I was then, hm?" She arched a brow and looked at him, the innocence fading away to something a bit more cynical.

"Ah yes. Well..." He grinned. "In that case, I admit, I flirted with you to such a degree on purpose, but I do enjoy seeing the way your cheeks turn red, and you do get rather shy when it happens." He leaned forward a bit. "And now, as your betrothed, I can flirt with you openly and freely." He took her hand and bowed his head over it, his lips brushing against her knuckles.

Emma did her best to force the heat from her cheeks, but she knew it was impossible. It was why Killian brought it up, wasn't it? He knew he could get a rise out of her, and he was doing a pretty good job doing it right now. She opened her mouth to speak, but the breath caught in her throat, as he apparently chose that exact moment to look up at her, a devilish grin on his face.

"Something wrong?" That grin widened, and she could have sworn he waggled his eyebrows at her.

She yanked her hand away from him and took a few steps back, as if putting any distance between them would cool the heat that now spread down her neck. "If you delay any longer, the food will be taken away." She turned so her back was to him, forcing herself to take a few calming breaths. Once she was sure the blush had faded, she looked over her shoulder at him. "Or are you content to go until dinner without eating?"

"All right all right." He chuckled and straightened himself up, offering his arm. 

When she took it, that devilish grin that seemed permanently plastered on his face shifted into a more genuine smile. Those were the kind of expressions she was weakest to, especially with him in the uniform, so Emma used the opportunity to look straight ahead and lead him back down to the dining hall. She knew she should have let him do the leading and the guiding, but he made no fuss, and he almost seemed more pleased with the current situation than he should have been. And when Emma risked a glance at him out of the corner of her eye, his smile brightened as though he was waiting for her to look at him.

She let go of his arm once they got into the room. "Do you remember the proper way to eat?"

The smile faded, but only marginally. "Eating is not that difficult, you know."

"Yes, I am fully aware, but you've been gone for a long time." She motioned to the chair and the formal place setting on the table. "But what about all that?" 

He glanced at it and the smile faded completely. "I suppose this is the first lesson in princely decorum, as you put it?" He all but fell into the chair, somewhat listless as he looked at the dishes and silver before him.

"We have to put on a good show, don't we?" She rested her hands on the back of his chair and looked over his shoulder at the setting. "It's really only for balls and formal feasts." She patted his shoulder once as if that would console him. 

He only let out a slight grunt in reply, so Emma decided to make this a little more interesting. She dismissed all of the servants from the room, and when Killian glanced up at her, she offered him yet another innocent smile. Since he really enjoyed seeing her blush, she wondered how he would feel if she could elicit the same response from him. So with each explanation, she made sure to lean just a little too close, her lips almost brushing his ear as she whispered, her hand sliding over his shoulder as she explained, and her chest pressing against his arm when she leaned in to point something out. 

He shifted a bit in his chair, but she simply smiled and whispered. "Remember to keep poised." She moved her hand over his, fingertips just barely touching his skin. "You need to remain calm and collected...don't tense up and get too rigid." 

Killian grunted a little and turned his head to look at her, looking almost startled at how close she actually was. "It's a bit too late for that, love." And while she could tell he was trying to deflect with flirtation, there was something in his eyes that let her know that it was more than that. She was getting to him, and the more she looked at him, the warmer his face became until his cheeks matched the pink hue hers had shown earlier.

"Oh?" She smiled and pulled herself back. "Well, that won't do. What if someone sees how tense you are? They'll think you're not suited for this." She kept that smile, though she really wanted to smirk and gloat at the way he reacted and how disappointed he looked when she pulled back. 

"Who taught you how to be so sly?" Killian turned in his chair, and while disappointed look was gone, the heat hadn't fully faded from his cheeks, so any attempt he made at trying to look in control was lost.

"I don't know what you mean, Killian." Emma tilted her head just slightly and blinked at him, as if she really did have no idea what she just did to him, or how she clearly affected him. 

"You know exactly what I mean." He stood, a bit too abruptly with the way the chair almost crashed to the floor. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest in one swift motion, his other arm encircling her. "You should take responsibility." 

Emma looked up at him, and while she really wanted nothing more than to lean against his chest and sink into the warmth he provided, she wasn't going to succumb just yet. And while she believed his words, she still wasn't ready to come out from behind those final walls that would allow her heart to believe he truly and completely returned to her. What if he changed his mind? What was going to stop him from getting back on that boat and leaving with his crew? What if he stayed for the ball, but decided another lady was more beautiful?

"Emma?" 

She jumped a little when he said her name, still looking up at him, but regaining her focus. "Eh?"

"Are you all right? You look as though you might cry." Everything else left his voice except the obvious concern she could read in his expression. "Did I do something to upset you?" He let his arm drop from around her, and he let go of her hand.

In that moment, Emma panicked. She quickly wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face against his shoulder, as awkward as that was with the uniform decoration. She felt him tense a little, but then those arms came around her again, and she sank into his warmth. She silently cursed herself for reacting that way when he was clearly just trying to give her space because he thought he messed up. It wasn't like he was leaving her again, right? "No...I'm okay."

"Forgive me for saying so, but you're clearly not okay." He shifted a little, perhaps to try and make it more comfortable for her, or perhaps because he wasn't expecting to hold her like this just yet. One of his hands lifted, and he smoothed her hair a bit. 

"I am okay." Emma forced herself to calm, though the hand in her hair definitely helped, but she didn't pull away from him just yet. Instead, she curled that much closer, tucking her face into his neck. 

"Am I interrupting something?" The king's voice echoed, perhaps louder than it actually was. 

They both jumped, but while Emma pulled away enough to turn to look at her father, she did not pull her arms from Killian, and he only lowered his hand from her hair to her shoulder. "Dad..."

He was looking at them, arms crossed, but he didn't look particularly annoyed or angry. "I finally got your attention then?"

"What?" Emma blinked. How long had he been standing there? 

The king opened his mouth, about to say something, but he apparently changed his mind and closed it again. He shook his head a little and uncrossed his arms before he walked right up to them and placed one hand on each of their shoulders. "As much as I would find great pleasure in admonishing this guy for putting his hands on my daughter," he squeezed Killian's shoulder a little more than was necessary, causing the man to hiss a little, "I have business with him regarding his return."

Emma looked up at her father and pouted just a little, not that it would do anything. "But I'm supposed to help Killian with his manners."

"Ah, yes, and you're clearly doing a good job with that, Emma, since neither of you noticed when I walked in the room." The king patted her shoulder before letting both of them go. "But, unfortunately, this takes precedence. If your pirate captain here really did kill King George, we have to deal with the repercussions swiftly."

"Not that there's likely to be any," Killian muttered, "No one liked him much, and no one knows what happened."

"All the more reason for you to clarify it all with me in case someone did find out, hm?" 

"It's all right, Killian." Emma let go of him and stepped out of his arms. "If he takes too much time from it today, I'll just have to spend more time with you tonight, so I'm sure you won't be long."

Killian chuckled a little bit at that, but the king frowned and clapped his hand on his shoulder and squeezed again. "Emma," He looked at her, still frowning. "While I'm sure you're eager to spend as much time with this one as possible, we do have a ball to prepare for. Besides, you have some business of your own to handle, hm?"

"I do?" She looked at her father and blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Regina just arrived, and she's with your mother." There was no shift in his tone, but Emma's eyes widened a little.

"Oh! Yes. Sorry!" Emma knew Regina would be at the ball. After all, she made amends with her mother when Emma herself was barely a week old, and while the two of them got along quite well, Regina rarely came to an event early. If she did, it was for something important. "I will go see them now, thank you." She turned to Killian and offered him a smile. "And I suppose I will have to help you more at dinner." 

She didn't even wait for either men to reply before she headed to the door, her pace quickening the closer she got to it, and by the time she was out of the dining hall, she had broken into a full-blown run. Perhaps it wasn't so princess-like to run through the halls and practically slam open the library doors, or to bend and put her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Perhaps she should have curtseyed or something, but instead, she stared at the floor a bit as the air came back into her lungs.

"Abrupt as always, I see." Regina's voice contained a bit of mirth, and Emma lifted her head as she heard the older woman's footsteps come closer. "Your mother tells me you've found your true love hm?"

"My what?" Emma straightened herself up and looked at Regina, her eyes widening. Normally, Regina wore these elaborate outfits that were mostly a throwback to her 'Evil Queen' days. All blacks and purples, with tight corsets and sleek skirts. But here she was looking much like Emma tried to mimic when she went into town. While she still seemed to prefer the corsets, she was in soft browns and greens, her hair pulled back loosely, and not in some tight updo or elaborate hat. 

"Oh don't look at me like that, you frustrating child." Regina took her hands and pulled her into the library, the doors shutting behind them. She glanced back at the queen, arching a brow a little. "You did say true love, Snow, did you not?"

"I did." She smiled and looked at the two of them. "I told you about him before, Regina. The boy that changed our little princess?"

"Oh. The one who died hm? So he didn't die." Regina turned her attention back to Emma, still holding her hands as she looked her over. "I see. That's good. I was worried the sadness might turn her darker than I had been. So, Emma do you want to tell your dear step-grandmother all about it?" Her lips twitched a little, into something that looked like a genuine smile, but there was a hint of her usual smirk there.

Emma's eyes widened as she looked between Regina and her mother. What was this about true love? Why was Regina so eager to hear about it? And why was her mother so sure that it even existed? "I don't understand what you're talking about. Why do you say that about Killian?" 

Regina arched a brow and looked at the queen again. "You never told her?"

"Told me what?" Emma sighed a little, but she kept looking at the two women. "What are you talking about?"

"You're the child of true love." Her mother kept smiling, taking steps towards them. "Your father and I...That's true love. When two people love each other so fully and completely, and so you, our daughter, are the embodiment of our love." She lifted her hand to touch Emma's cheek, and Emma could see the tears shimmering in her eyes, even though she smiled.

"Isn't that a good thing then? But what does that have to do with Killian? And what was that about me being worse than you, Regina?" Emma's brows knitted a little and she frowned. "I thought you became dark because of the Dark One?"

"And my mother. And it's not a time I really like to think about. None of us do." Regina smiled and squeezed Emma's hands lightly. "I know we talked about what I tried to do before you were born, and how I failed at that curse hm? And we talked about how your birth helped me overcome my darkness, and how your mother and I reconciled, but we never told you exactly why..." 

Emma nodded a little. The story of the curse failing was well known, as was the story of Queen Snow White and the Evil Queen Regina getting past their differences to make this kingdom a better place. Emma always knew it had to do with them bonding over the new baby princess, but she never thought anything of it. Wasn't that sort of thing normal? "I don't understand, what didn't you tell me? Wasn't it just a normal thing?"

"Not exactly." Regina shook her head and squeezed Emma's hands a little. "You're filled with light, Emma. You're the product of true love, and so you have immensely powerful magic inside you. It's that magic that started to banish the darkness within me." 

"What? I don't have any magic. What are you talking about?" Emma stared at the older woman, eyes wide. 

"You do. Very powerful magic." 

"But I can't make fireballs or disappear or anything like you can." 

"No, that's dark magic. You have light magic, but your mother and I were very worried about you. When you went into despair all those years ago, we were worried you would become as I had. I went dark because my love had been taken from me, and I blamed your mother for it, though that blame was very misplaced." 

The queen rested her hand on Emma's shoulder. "But you are so strong Emma. You never let that consume you, and now look. Killian's back, and you're happier than I've ever seen you."

"Because he's my true love?" Emma bowed her head a little. It was a lot to take in all at once, and while she knew her mother and Regina meant well, she couldn't help the slight twinge in her chest at that thought. She should be happy about that right? But where was the proof? "How do you know that?"

"I just do." 

It was so frustrating when mothers said that. Emma lifted her head and frowned. "That's not a reason."

"No, it's not." Regina shook her head a little. "Which is why I want you to tell me all about it, and I want to meet him. Your mother is convinced, but it takes much more to convince me."

"Why is it such a big deal anyway? Isn't it good enough that I'm going to marry him eventually? That I don't have to marry some stuffy prince from another kingdom, or some power-hungry nobleman's son?"

"Of course that's good enough." The queen smiled, but after a moment she sighed and just shook her head. "But it's not good enough for you, Emma."

"What the hell does that mean?" Emma frowned more and stepped away from both women, her fists clenching. "If you're going to tell me that I can't be with Killian, I'll—"

"No!" Her mother's voice was so loud, she seemed to startle herself. "No, Emma! That's not what we mean." She reached out and took one of Emma's hands, holding it gently, but her grip was deceptively strong. If Emma wanted to run away, she wouldn't be able to do it now. "It's just that we've been doing such a good job keeping your magic a secret, even from you, that if it's ever found out, you're going to need to rely on that power of true love."

Regina sighed and crossed her arms. "The Dark One is back from the other realm he was banished to when he interfered with the curse and it failed."

"Regina!"

"We may as well just tell her. Beating around the bush is getting us nowhere." There was a bit of bark to Regina's voice, Emma was the only one who flinched.

"I don't think this is such a good idea." The queen sighed.

"No. I want to hear it." Emma looked at her mother. "I know you mean well when you keep things from me, and I don't blame you for hiding things that you think will protect me, but I'm not a child anymore. You need to let me know how to protect myself."

The queen's grip loosened at those words, and she nodded once before she completely let go of Emma's hand. "Fine. Tell her."

"The Dark One has returned," Regina continued, "and from what I understand, he's become very interested in you."

"Because of the magic I don't even know exists?"

"It exists, and yes." The older woman frowned. "In particular, I believe he may want you to marry his son, and I don't think anything but your true love can stop such a thing."


	8. Agreement

Killian sat at the large round table that rested in the dead center of the room. All of the major planning happened in this room, and he had only been allowed in once before, when he made that deal with the king. And he was just as nervous now as he had been that day. He watched the king pace, the older man's eyes seemingly locked on the floor, which was fine with him because Killian knew he would be more nervous if he fell under that gaze.

But with passing minute, and each footstep that echoed in the otherwise silent room, Killian found himself staring at wooden table, his eyes following along the grain as if that was somehow more tolerable than all of this.

"How did you do it?" The king's voice finally broke the silence, but the pacing didn't stop. 

"Are you sure you really want to know?" Killian leaned back in his chair a bit and regarded the king. While he readily admitted to killing King George, he wasn't sure telling him the method would accomplish anything other than prove he was, in fact, a dastardly pirate.

"The way you're asking makes me feel like you don't want me to know." The other man finally stopped pacing and turned to look at Killian. A frown ghosted over his lips before he shook his head and spoke again. "But you need to be truthful with me. I need to know, if not for diplomatic reasons, then at least so I know if I can actually trust you with Emma."

That was it then? This all came down to protecting the princess, didn't it? Of course it did. That was why Killian had done what he had done. "There was a cell full of prisoners that were being executed in the morning. For stealing, I believe. Something that wasn't worth a hanging." He looked at the king and shook his head. "I simply helped them get their hands on that bastard so they would have a real reason to be executed."

"You let them out?"

"One. He got his hands on a guard's uniform, too. King George might have been a wicked man, but he wasn't as smart as all the stories claimed. I'm guessing it was all of his failures that set him on a path of self-destruction." Killian shrugged a little and leaned forward so his arms rested on the table. "And so the man was able to lure him down to the dungeon to hear the prisoners' plea for freedom. He kicked him into the cell and locked him in there with the other men, and from the shadows I watched them kill him. All of the men were executed in the morning for regicide."

"And you orchestrated that?"

"I may have knocked out the guard whose uniform they used, or I may not have had anything to do with that." He smirked. "With the exception of the blunder with Emma in the tavern the other night, I'm very good at keeping my presence unknown. You didn't even know I was still alive."

"No, though I had received reports of a Captain Hook and his Jolly Roger." The king shook his head. "I never would have thought it would have been you, with both hands, and my Jewel."

Killian chuckled. "Well, a hook is more intimidating, is it not? And I did use one to dispose of a few men in the early days, so it stuck. Quite the moniker, hm?"

"Yes, well, it may prove to be useful." The king sat in the chair next to Killian and turned towards him. "And since you have been honest with me, I will give you that same courtesy. Asking about my adoptive father's death was just an excuse to get you in here alone."

"I'm flattered, Your Majesty, but—"

"This isn't the time for joking. It's about Emma."

The king's expression darkened slightly, and this time the frown remained on his lips. "I'm entrusting her to you, for now as a named captain of my navy."

"She warned me you might want to make me come back to that." Killian could feel his own mood darken to match the expression on the other man's face.

"Yes, but hear me out before you try to refuse me." The king shook his head and leaned forward a bit, his voice lowering, though there was no one else in the room to hear it. "Yes, it's true that I can call you back at any time because you stole my ship, and you were my lieutenant. I have no intention of doing that. However, as Emma is the princess and the future heir, she cannot be engaged to a pirate captain. She can be engaged to Killian Jones, Captain of the Jewel of the Realm. As such, your crew is being outfitted, and your ship is receiving a temporary makeover."

Killian clenched his fists a bit, but he did his best to listen calmly, though he couldn't keep back the scowl at that last bit of information. "Temporary?"

"Oh yes. Just the sails and the flags, really. A well placed tarp or two to cover a particular paint job. Oh, and we made sure your men all bathed properly. Can't have a crew embarrassing their esteemed captain."

"And what's the point of this? Just for the ball? To show me off and parade me around like some fool?"

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it." The king chuckled just a bit, breaking that serious expression for only a moment. "But there's more to it than that. And honestly, I don't trust anyone else to do what I need done. If you had killed King George yourself, I wouldn't be speaking to you as I am now. You're not a bad person, Killian. Pirate business aside, you haven't gone as dark as you seem to think."

Killian couldn't help but be thrown off by that. This whole thing was just some sort of elaborate test? If he had killed that other man himself, then what? Would he be thrown out, banished, or worse? He was glad he wouldn't find out, but he also didn't want to be the reason behind the king's expression. While he had always known him to be a bit cheerful and friendly, this serious, brooding look was more terrifying than he would readily admit. "What is it you would have me do?"

"Protect Emma. Keep her safe."

"You make that sound like it's going to be more difficult than it should be."

"It will be. Much, much more difficult. But Snow is convinced that you're the only one in all the realms who would be able to do it, and while I'd like to say she's saying that out of some sort of romantic inclination...I know she's not. She's gotten Regina convinced as well, and so I trust her instinct."

"And what am I supposed to be protecting her from? Pathetic suitors who will be insanely jealous that I've stomped out their place?"

"If that were all, we wouldn't need you at all. Emma could handle all of that herself. She always had." The king shook his head. "No, the danger you face is even beyond what we can handle as her parents. It's even beyond Regina."

"If you're trying to make me nervous about this, you're doing a damned good job, you know." Killian snorted and frowned. "How could I possibly do better than the king, the queen, and her stepmother?" 

"The Dark One."

Killian's whole body went cold. His muscles stiffened, and he clenched his fists. He knew all about The Dark One, though the vile man hadn't been in any of these realms since the day Emma was born. He might have only been a lad of five, but he knew it was The Dark One who manipulated the curse for his own means. It was The Dark One who made Killian an orphan. Who had been the reason Liam's sanity had been on shaky ground. Who had indirectly caused Killian's own darkness.

"That's impossible." He muttered when he was able to speak again, his fists clenching at his sides. "He disappeared along with the curse."

"And he's returned." The king sighed and rested a hand on Killian's shoulder. "And you know as well as I do that he's the most dangerous when he wants something. Just as he wanted to manipulate Regina into casting the curse. As he wanted to escape to another realm using that curse. And now Snow and Regina think he might come for Emma."

"But why Emma? That doesn't make any sense?"

The king grimaced and pulled his hand back. "Emma has a lot of power."

"As the princess? She's not the queen yet. What power could she possibly have? She's not a warrior or anything."

"She's the product of True Love." 

"Eh?" Killian knew enough about magic to know that True Love was the purest form of love. That it was magic itself, and if found, it could be powerful. And of course he knew the story of Snow White, awakened by Prince Charming's kiss. How had he never made that connection before? "So...does she have magic?"

"Yes. Very powerful magic."

"Does she know about it?"

"I assume Snow and Regina are telling her right now." 

Killian bowed his head and clenched his fists more, his nails digging into his palms. No wonder The Dark One would be after her. If he was the embodiment of darkness, then surely Emma was that of light. Of love. "And how do you expect me to protect her when even Regina can't go up against him?"

"Regina uses dark magic. You know this. What can she do against the one who showed her how to do it?"

"And me? What can I do? I can sail. I can fight. I can't stop magic."

"But you can protect Emma." The king's confidence in that statement was almost daunting. How could he believe such a thing so completely when Killian was sitting there doubting he could do anything. 

"And you think he's going to attack her?"

"Oh no. Absolutely not. He wouldn't risk hurting her when he wants her magic. I'm afraid it's much worse than that. The Dark One returned from The Land Without Magic, and he returned with his son, if our sources are correct."

"His son...?"

"That was the reason he convinced Regina to cast that curse in the first place. He lost his son, and he wanted him back. But when his son left, he was a child, and now he's an adult. About your age, it seems. Which means The Dark One might very well use him to go after Emma."

"Which is why you're so eager to play me up as the noble fiancé. You're hoping to deter him."

"That is part of it, yes. The other part is much more complicated, and it's not something you should openly flaunt. It's something you should keep from everyone, even Emma, until you need it, and you will need it."

"The fact that I'm a pirate? But Emma knows that."

"No. The depth of your feelings for her."

"But she knows I love her." Killian frowned. "It's not good form to keep those sorts of things hidden, you know."

"Everyone will know you love her by the end of the ball." The king stood and walked to one of the windows, his hands linking behind his back. "And Emma already knows that you faked your death to save her from the pain of your changes. But Emma can't know that you didn't kill King George yourself. She can't know that you did it to keep it from getting back to us. Or that you didn't want to damage whatever was left of your name so that you could still be with her."

Killian's eyes widened. He knew the king was a smart man, but to be able to read his intentions so well was more than he had expected. "I think you're giving me too much credit."

"I think you're taking me for an idiot." The king turned his head and looked over his shoulder at him. "You know I'm right. Your expression confirms that."

"So why can't Emma know any of that?"

"Even when thinking you might never see her again, or resigning yourself to the idea that she might already be with someone else when you returned, you still did everything for her. You kept yourself alive for her. You got rid of someone who might hurt her. Even know you're more concerned with her safety than your own. I know that feeling well, Killian. It's the same feeling I had when I thought Snow was dead. It's that feeling that broke her sleeping curse."

"True Love?" Did the king really believe that? Was that even possible to hide? Killian just stared at him.

"And so you must keep that hidden. For now, so it's not used against either of you." 

"How do you propose I do that? If it's going to be obvious that I love her." He couldn't keep the doubt from his voice.

"Just keep flirting with her in that obnoxious way that you do." He turned to look at him with what looked like a slightly disgusted look on his face. "I will simply tell everyone that you were on a mission of utmost importance, and it was necessary to spin a tale that your ship had disappeared at sea. Everyone will think we've rewarded you with our daughter's hand, which is just as well, since you two were childhood friends. Of course there would be love there."

"And Emma will go along with such a tale? She's not exactly thrilled with my lies up until this point." 

"She's the one who suggested the story at least. The rest can be divulged once the threat has passed."

Killian pushed out of his chair and stood. "Let me see her."

"Even if I wanted to stop you, Killian, I couldn't." The king looked back out the window and shook his head once. "But before you go, promise me one thing."

Killian watched the way the older man seemed to tense, so he spoke quickly. "What is it?"

"Promise that you'll do everything in your power to keep my little girl from becoming The Dark One's puppet."

He nodded, though he knew the king couldn't see it. "Of course, Your Majesty. I'd risk my life for two things, revenge and love, and there's nothing that has stopped me from getting either so far."

The king simply nodded his head and went silent. Killian took that as his cue to leave, so he walked out of the room and let out a slight hiss of breath as he allowed himself to relax just for a moment. Speaking with the king, despite how well he hid it, was still the most nerve-wracking thing he had ever experienced. It was worse now than it had been when he was seventeen. 

When he composed himself, he smoothed out the front of the uniform and headed to the library, since that was the best place to start. He took deep breaths as he walked down the hallway, glancing at guards and servants as he passed them. If he was going to play up this heroic captain bit, he needed to look the part. Calm, cool, and collected. He could do that, couldn't he?

Though that faded when he pushed open the door to the library and saw Emma curled up at the window, her shoulders shaking a little. Without even a thought, he ran to her side, scooping her up in his arms and holding her against his chest. He said nothing even as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his shoulder. As her body seemed to tremble more once he held her. He pressed his lips against the top of her head and glanced around for a sign of either the queen or Regina, but found none.

"I'm sorry." She whispered after a while, and he lifted his head enough to look down at her. She was looking up at him with red, tear-filled eyes. 

"What have you done that warrants an apology, love?" He kept an arm around her, but he moved the other, his finger gently wiping a stray drop from her cheek. 

"If you want to leave me, I won't blame you. I know he told you about me." 

The way she looked at him was almost too much to handle. He was afraid she would break at anything he could possibly say, and so he said the best thing he could think of. "Emma, nothing anyone can say about you would change my mind. I won't leave you. I don't ever want to be away from you again. You are going to be my wife. You and I are going to grow old together, and we will be happy. I will do everything I can to ensure that." 

More tears fell from Emma's eyes, but she nodded. She looked at him a moment before he felt her shift her weight, and she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. He wasn't expecting it, but he recovered quickly, pulling her closer even as her lips trembled against his.


	9. Nerves

"With the way you're pacing, love, you'll wear a hole in the floor." 

Emma stopped; she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even realize she was pacing back and forth. She looked over at Killian, who lounged in the chair by the window, still looking regal and official in his uniform, though his slouching indicated otherwise. "I can't help it," she sighed and shook her head. "I'm just nervous."

"That much was obvious with the way you went back and forth like that." Killian chuckled a little and straightened himself up, only to lean forward, his arms across his knees.

Emma couldn't help but feel a little shy at his gaze, which seemed to intensify the longer he looked at her. "And you could stand to be a little more nervous you know!" She stomped her foot once, exasperated at how calm he looked. How could he be calm knowing everything she told him? How could he just sit there and grin at her and look her up and down like he was planning something she couldn't even think of entertaining until after the wedding?

"And you could stand to be much calmer." He sat up again and reached into his coat, pulling out a small flash and shaking it just a little. "Here. This will help." He opened it and held it out to her.

She looked at him for a moment before she walked to his side and grabbed the flask, taking a drink without any hesitation. Of course he would have rum on him, and he was probably already halfway to drunk with the way he grinned at her. She handed the flask back to him and shook her head. "I don't think that helped."

"That's only because you don't plan on letting it help." Killian took a drink himself before recapping it and tucking it back into his jacket. "You'd think you've never been to a ball before with the way you're going on." He stood and took her hands, holding them both up to his lips and kissing her knuckles. 

Emma felt the heat come to her cheeks, but she tried to concentrate on anything other than Killian's lips, something she was finding increasingly difficult to do. Maybe that was her fault for kissing him the other day. Maybe it was his fault for using every possible excuse to get close to her and do something similar to what he was doing now. "Killian..."

"If you keep blushing like that, someone might think this is the first time I've done it." He grinned as he pulled back a bit, but he kept hold of her hands. 

"No one's going to think that!" She pulled her hands back and walked to the other side of the room, looking into the mirror and patting her cheeks as if that would help. She glanced away from her own reflection to watch him through the glass, almost jumping at how quickly he had moved right behind her. 

His hands rested on her shoulders and he leaned in a little, his lips right by her ear. "On second thought, keep blushing, Swan." He rubbed her shoulders lightly. "Let everyone see just how smitten you are." 

Emma let out a slight puff of air. Part of her was annoyed that he could make her melt so easily, but there was a much larger part of her that enjoyed the way he constantly showered her with affection. She knew he loved her. He said as much, but these moments really let her feel like maybe it all really would be okay. And she needed to rely on that feeling. She needed to have the kind of hope her mother always talked about. "Only if you show everyone how you can't stand to be away from me."

"Well that's the truth, so that won't be difficult." He grinned once more and kissed the side of her head before letting go and backing up. "And so it pains me to have to leave you long enough for you to get ready. I would stay, but I'm sure your father would injure me beyond repair." 

She turned and looked at him, doing her best to keep the disappointment from showing in her expression. So she smiled, and offered him a little nod, though she reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it for a moment longer than necessary. "I'll get ready as quickly as I can." She let go when he nodded, and she watched him leave, not looking away until the door shut behind him.

Once she was alone, she looked around her room and sighed. The past week had been much more stressful than it should have been. She should have been happy that things were going to work out as she had always hoped they would when she was younger. She should have been happy that she didn't have to feel those sharp pains in her heart whenever she had a dream about Killian. Everything had fallen into place, and then it had just been kicked out and scattered all over the place.

Training with Regina for hours every morning left her drained for the rest of the day, especially since it seemed to be getting her nowhere. Well, it wasn't getting her anywhere until yesterday, when Regina declared that Emma would never learn how to control her magic if she didn't feel it. Emma was about to ask what she meant by that when the former queen shot a ball of fire at Killian. She didn't even have time to yell before she felt the power come through her and blast out, pushing him out of the way before the fireball could hit him. And he just laughed and told her she was brilliant.

She didn't deserve him.

She broke all decorum that day she kissed him when he said they would grow old together, and she broke it again when she practically threw herself on top of him and kissed him again in full view of Regina. The older woman promised not to tell her parents if she promised not to tell exactly how the training went.

And while that made everything click for her, and it lifted an enormous weight off Emma's shoulders, another one had been settling there since the first guests began to arrive this morning. What if Regina was right and Rumplestiltskin came after her? She wasn't strong enough to protect herself, or anyone else, if it came to that. What if he tried to do something to Killian? She wasn't sure she could put him in that much danger.

But she didn't want to let him go, either.

Emma sighed again and opened the door, allowing the servants to come in and help her ready for the ball. While she knew she would have to put on her best face for this night, she wanted nothing more than to run away with Killian. She hoped he would offer such a thing before he left, but he seemed to be doing everything her father was telling him. She didn't know if she was upset or relieved that he was playing the part of the proper captain. 

"Oh you look so lovely!" 

The sound of her mother's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. When had she come in? And when did the servants finish dressing her? She forced a smile and turned to look at her mother, not at all surprised that she was wearing the whitest of white dresses. For a moment she wondered if this would be an issue at her wedding, but she pushed back that thought. "You look lovelier." 

"Oh please." The queen shook her head and took one of Emma's hands, bringing her to the mirror and smiling. "My little princess is all grown up and ready to turn heads at her engagement ball." She smiled one of those bright smiles she was so good at. Emma found herself envying her mother's ability to see the good in everything. 

"I wish I could be as excited about it as you are." Emma sighed and shook her head.

"Well, think about your captain instead of all of the other things that could potentially happen." The queen squeezed her hand. "Think about what you know, not what you fear."

"But what if thinking about Killian is what makes me afraid?"

"Because you don't want to lose him." Her mother nodded. "I know that feeling well. How many times do you think I've worried about losing your father? Even now, I worry whenever some conflict happens, but that only makes me more determined to put on a smile, hm?" She let go of Emma's hand and gently pushed a blonde strand out of her face. "Think about how he makes you feel. Think about all of the things you want to do with him, all the stupid fights you want to have with him, and all the times you want to fall asleep knowing he's with you." 

"I can do this." Emma nodded and looked in the mirror, the red dress seeming to stand out that much more now that she felt a bit more confident. 

"Besides, it's not like he's going to be looking at anyone else all night, so you may as well keep him close hm?" The queen smiled once again and walked to the door. "Should I send him in?"

"What?" 

"He's been waiting out here the entire time. He said something about you making it quick, though he knew you'd never be able to stick to that." Snow opened the door and stepped through it, and without waiting for a word from Emma, she nudged Killian into the room and shut the door behind him.

Emma's eyes widened when he just stared at her. He opened his mouth several times, as if he were going to try to say something, but no sound came out. She shifted a bit beneath his gaze and ducked her head, the pink once again coming to her cheeks. "Does it look bad?"

"Bad? Impossible." The words came out with such force, Emma could have sworn they would have pushed her back if he had any magic. 

She lifted her head when she heard him take steps towards her, and the blush on her cheeks darkened as he took her hands. "Killian?"

"You're the most beautiful woman in all the realms, Swan." He whispered, and she was sure his own cheeks had some color to them.

"It's not nice to lie. Doesn't that go against your gentlemanly code?" 

"I'm not lying." He shook his head and brought her hands to his lips much as he had done earlier in the day. "Believe me, love." He kissed between each word. 

"Ok! Ok I believe you!" Emma yanked her hands away from him and turned her back to him. "You didn't have to wait for me, you know."

"Ah, but I did. I have something to give you."

"What?" She half turned to look at him, and rather than his normal devilish grin, he was smiling at her. It caused her heart to beat just that much faster in her chest as the butterflies in her stomach started to flutter.

Without a word, he gently turned her towards the mirror and dropped a gold chain in front of her. Hanging from the chain was one of the many rings he had been wearing before the king made him change into the uniform. It was gold and red, and though she had only seen it once or twice, she immediately recognized it. 

"Killian?"

He clasped the chain behind her neck and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Given my profession, I haven't exactly saved up for a proper ring, so I hope this is acceptable."

She lifted her hand to the metal as it rested against her skin and she ran her fingers over it. It was warmer than she expected it to be, so perhaps he had been wearing it like this the whole time. Tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them back before turning around and smiling. "It's the best."

"Oh? And that isn't a lie is it?"

"Of course not." 

He smiled again and offered her his arm. "Then since you seem to be pleased, it would be best if you made your appearance at your own ball hm?"

Emma took his arm and nodded, looking up at him and matching his smile with one of her own. And unlike the forced one she gave her mother minutes earlier, this one was genuine, and it stemmed from the warmth at her heart. "I'm sure people will be looking at you more than they look at me, though."

"Doubtful." Killian chuckled. "Though if anyone does, I can guarantee I won't notice it. I'll be too busy glaring at anyone who spends too much time looking at you."

"Oh, my hero." Emma smiled just a little brighter. Maybe this is what she needed. Earlier, she spent so much time being upset about something she didn't even know would happen that she forgot to simply enjoy Killian's company. She would have to remedy that now.

She held his arm a bit tighter and stood up a bit straighter as they approached the doors to the main hall. She could hear the low hum of the music and the excited tone of the voices that reacted to the announcement of their arrival. She looked up at Killian and laughed at how serious he was trying to look. "Relax." She whispered. "Or drink more rum."

But the doors opened, and the room went silent as he escorted her a few steps in. She took a deep breath and looked at everyone. Her parents were smiling, much as she expected them to be. Regina stood nearby, holding a small child in her arms, and Emma wondered why she hadn't noticed him running around the castle all week, though now she remembered almost tripping over him several times.

She glanced up at Killian and smiled a little. She wanted to laugh a little, since the rum clearly wasn't working as well as he tried to pretend it was. She squeezed his arm gently, and he turned to look at her. "Breathe."

He nodded a little and helped her down the stairs. The music started up again, and while some people went back to dancing, others were swarming the two of them, pestering them with questions that neither of them seemed to be ready to answer.

And for now, Emma felt as though this night might go well after all.


	10. Interruption

By the time Killian had finally relaxed, the ball was in full swing. Of course, he remained by Emma's side, not once moving more than an arm's length away. She didn't seem to mind, as she was constantly touching his arm or holding his hand. And when they danced (since the queen kept insisting...over and over again), she stepped a little closer to him than was necessary. He didn't mind. Why would he? The center of his universe was with him, and she wanted to be with him just as much as he wanted to be with her.

And he would do everything he could to make sure they could stay that way.

So he let himself relax a little more as the evening progressed. As other princes and noblemen glared at him with obvious jealousy. As other princesses and noblewomen smiled at Emma in that fake way women did when they were envious. 

Maybe he got a little too comfortable, and maybe that's where he went wrong because he let his guard down and forgot about the threat of The Dark One.

So when he walked into the hall with his son at his side (or at least Killian presumed it was his son), he was taken a bit by surprise. Apparently Emma was as well because she grabbed his hand and squeezed it so tightly he was sure he heard his bones protest. But he curled his fingers around her and tried to keep himself as visibly calm as possible, since he was panicking internally.

"Well well." The Dark One walked towards the two of them, the crowd parting for him, clearly out of fear than any real respect, as no one would look at him. "Looks like our little princess here is all grown up hm?"

Killian frowned a bit as Emma bowed her head and stared at the floor. She continued to clutch his hand, but she loosened her grip slightly. He took a step forward and half in front of Emma, as if he could actually protect her from the man.

The Dark One looked at him and arched a brow, his lips twisting into a grin that probably meant bad news, but he didn't do anything other than laugh a little. "Oh? And it seems she found herself a protector, too?"

"Betrothed." Emma's voice was soft, but firm. Killian glanced over at her, and she had lifted her head, but she kept herself half behind Killian. 

"Hmmm? That's a shame." The other man clucked his tongue. "And here I was hoping my son Baelfire had a chance." He motioned to the man standing behind him. The man simply shrugged a little as if it didn't bother him in the slightest. 

The Dark One seemed to be keeping it light, but Killian noticed that the man absolutely did mind. He felt a chill go down his spine when the other man looked at him, that creepy grin on his lips, but something much more sinister in his eyes. He was plotting something, Killian was sure of it, but he had no idea just what The Dark One would do. Would he attack him? Would he whisk Emma away?

"Then allow me to congratulate you with a wedding gift." 

There was a murmur among the crowd. This was going to be bad, wasn't it? The king even stepped forward to intercede. "That's very generous of you, but there's no need to do that before the wedding."

"Of course of course." The Dark One smiled and clapped his hands together. Nothing happened. The entire room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the music began to play again.

Killian glanced at Emma again and tried to offer her a smile, but she was looking at the other man (what kind of name was Baelfire anyway?) with such intensity she could probably have burned a hole into his head. 

Baelfire smiled sheepishly and bowed his head before reaching out and grabbing The Dark One's arm. "Let's go, hm? You're making people uncomfortable."

"I always make people uncomfortable." 

"So let's go." He tugged again and turned to look at Emma and Killian once more. "Sorry for barging in like this. My father is a bit dramatic."

Emma shook her head and smiled. "That's quite all right. No harm done." 

Killian couldn't keep his frown from deepening, and he clutched Emma's hand just that much tighter. Not tight enough to hurt her, of course, but hopefully it was enough to snap her out of whatever caused her to stare in the first place. He said nothing, since he knew anything that came out of his mouth would likely enrage the unwanted guests and endanger everyone in the room.

So he frowned while Emma smiled, and he found himself growing angry with her rather than at the others. He narrowed his eyes and kept his gaze on the two men until they left the ball. 

"Killian, you're squeezing too tightly."

He could see Emma looking at him out of the corner of his eye, as he hadn't torn his gaze away from the closed doors just yet. He expected it to burst open any minute. For The Dark One to come back and do something to all of them. But nothing happened. The festivities continued as if they had never stopped in the first place.

"What's gotten into you, Killian?" Emma grabbed his chin and turned his head until he was staring down at her, still frowning and glaring. 

When he saw a frown come to her lips at that, he sighed. "What's gotten into me? What's gotten into you, Swan? Staring at him like you wanted to devour him?"

Emma's eyes widened. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She did that several times, her hand still gripping his chin before she shook her head. "I've never actually seen The Dark One, and so I thought if I could memorize what he looked like, I co—"

"You weren't looking at him. You were looking at his son." Killian cut her off and pulled himself out of her grip, and he immediately regretted it when her face fell. 

But that sad look didn't last for long. Within seconds she frowned, her own eyes narrowing up at him. "You don't trust me?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you trusted me, you wouldn't care if I was looking at them!" She lifted a hand to poke his chest. 

"I don't like you staring so intensely at another man, but that doesn't mean I don't trust you."

"That's exactly what it means."

"Oh? So then you'd be okay if I stared at another woman the same way you just stared at him?" Killian was frowning again. He didn't like this conversation, and he certainly didn't like arguing with Emma when there were so many people around. Thankfully, the guests seemed more distracted by the event that just occurred than them.

"Of course I wouldn't! You should only be looking at me like that!" Emma's eyes widened and she stared at him. Her cheeks turned a dark pink, and her mouth formed a small o.

"See?" Killian sighed and took her hands into his own and held them, looking down at her and shaking his head. "That has nothing to do with trusting you, or any of that. Hm? Besides, you were so bloody obvious about it, of course I wouldn't like it."

"I just wanted to remember in case they came back...so I could run away." Emma looked down at their hands. "I didn't mean it any other way."

"I believe you." Killian sighed and brought her hands to his lips. "Just don't make me so jealous again hm?"

"I can't promise that." Emma's cheeks were still pink, and though the color had been fading, it darkened again at the kiss to her knuckles. "Though I'll try to keep from doing it on purpose."

"I'd have to retaliate if you do." Killian murmured with a slight grin. This was better, wasn't it? This light-hearted feeling? Though something still tugged at the back of his mind, and he did his best not to pay it too much attention. 

But it still nagged at him even as things returned to the way they were. It made him pull Emma that much closer to him when they danced, and it made him hold her hand every moment that he could. It even went so far to make him think about sweeping her up and running away with her. Taking her on his ship and sailing as far away as they could possibly go, to a realm without magic, so The Dark One couldn't reach them. But he couldn't do that, no matter how much he wanted to, Emma wouldn't allow it. 

So he trusted the little bit of help Regina offered him earlier in the day. He trusted her confidence that Emma was learning her magic so well that she would be one of the most powerful in all the realms. And most importantly, he trusted Emma.

He just hoped that would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So short! The past two weeks were super crazy, so I didn't have enough time to write much!


	11. Deal

Emma sat in the garden and watched Killian play with Roland, giving Robin and Regina a little reprieve. She smiled at the way the boy laughed when Killian lifted him onto his shoulders and ran him all around the garden. It was also the first time Emma had seen a genuine smile from Killian since the ball. Not that he hadn't smiled since, but none of those smiles seemed to have any feeling behind them. It was as if he was faking it to appease her, which had the opposite effect, of course.

She was sure that Killian was upset about the way she studied Baelfire. And while he said he believed her when she said it was just a precaution, she was sure he was lying. Well, not really lying because she could tell that for sure, but maybe he believed that he believed her when he really didn't, and so it was the truth and a lie at the same time.

But Emma would cling to that faint truth. As long as Killian believed her in some capacity, she could muster up the courage to face whatever might come their way. In fact, she was sure they would see more of The Dark One and Baelfire soon, and it wasn't going to be nearly as pleasant as it was at the ball. They were going to come back, and they were going to target her in some way, and she worried they might use Killian to do it.

Emma was startled out of her thoughts by the over-enthusiastic hug Roland leapt on her to give. She smiled and held him in her lap and tussled his hair a bit. 

"Sorry, love. He just really wanted to come over here." Killian smiled, but it was one of those fake smiles.

"It's all right," Emma smiled in return, faking it just as much and almost taking pleasure in the way Killian's face seemed to fall at that. "Roland hugs are always welcome." She hugged the child again, causing him to let out the cutest little giggle.

"Aye, well he does give good hugs," Killian lifted the boy out of Emma's grasp, "but I'll become incredibly jealous if he gets to hug you more than I do." He winked.

Emma arched a brow at him. Apparently he was in full flirt mode. Normally that would be fine, and she would be flattered and blush, but today it just didn't work. Surely Killian didn't think he was fooling her, did he? "Oh? But you're the one who's been hugging Roland more than you've hugged me." 

Killian looked at her and shook his head. "The day is young, and this one needs to go back to his father, hm?" He took a step towards the door into the castle and stopped, turning to look at her. "Won't you come with us?"

Emma opened her mouth to retort. Something about not needing to be with him for something like that. But before she could get the words out, she caught the look he gave her. Like it wasn't a question. Like she would disappear if he took his eyes off of her for even a moment. Like he was honestly afraid of that. How could she argue? So she nodded and stood, walking to the two of them and taking one of Roland's hands while Killian held the other.

She remained silent as they brought Roland to Robin and Regina. She remained silent even as Killian took her hand and squeezed it lightly. She remained silent until they entered her room--their room (her mother suggested Killian stay with her, now that they were officially betrothed, to potentially start the rumors that Emma might soon be with child) and the door shit behind them.

"What is wrong with you lately? You've been so distant, but now you're acting like you can't stand the idea of being away from me." She sighed, but made no move to let go of his hand.

Killian looked at her and frowned a little, squeezing her hand again before letting it go. "The air feels wrong. It feels like it did at the ball, and I don't like it." 

"So you're worried something might happen to me?" She sighed when he nodded. "That doesn't explain why you've been so cold. I thought you'd trusted me?"

"And I do." He looked down for a moment, lifting his hand to the back of his neck. "But I still don't like that you looked at him for so long."

Emma shook her head a little and lifted her hand to rest on one of his shoulders. "Killian, you have nothing to worry about. You know you're way more attractive, so I know you can't be concerned about that."

"That's not it." He lifted his head to look at her. "But what if he comes back because he thinks you might be interested in him?"

"I'm certain he'll come back, but it'll be because I'm not interested in him."

"I don't want him to come back at all." Killian grunted a little and frowned. 

Emma felt bad for saying it, but she knew it was a sure thing, and she didn't think hiding it was a good idea. Besides, Killian seemed just as sure as she was that she was correct, given the way he walked away from her and made sure the door to the balcony was fastened tight. "Killian..."

"No, I don't doubt you, Swan. I did mean it when I said I believed you. And you're right, I'm certainly not worried about you finding him more attractive than you find me." He looked over his shoulder at her. "And I'm not sure jealousy is the right word for this. I know they only came here because they want your magic. I came back here because I wanted to be with you."

She smiled a little at his words and walked over to him, resting here hand on his back and leaning up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You are with me, Killian."

"I know. But I can't help but think that if I had just come back sooner..."

"Stop that." Emma sighed and rested her head against the back of his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and closing her eyes. "You can't blame yourself for something you didn't do wrong. I'm just glad you're here now." 

"If I had just stopped Liam, or found that journal sooner."

"And then what?" She sighed and hugged him just a little tighter. "You might not be the same person you are now, or you could have made some different decisions and done something worse. What if you got seriously injured? Things happened the way they happened because that's how it is. Please don't start thinking about the what ifs and the could haves. I did that the entire time I thought you were dead and look where it got me." 

"Emma..." Killian rested his hand on hers. "No matter what, I would come back to you."

"I know." She loosened her grip, but kept her arms around him, not lifting her head from where it rested against his shoulder. "Me too."

"Isn't that sweet?" The third voice in the room caused both of them to whip around, and Emma's heart sank. Standing at the door was The Dark One, grinning at them like the predator he was. "I hate to break up such a lovely scene, but...well, no I don't." He giggled.

Emma barely had time to process any of that before Killian had pushed her behind him, his sword drawn and pointing at The Dark One's neck. "Get the hell out of here."

The other man giggled. "Not until I get what I came for." 

Emma grabbed Killian's arm and shivered a little. The air had gone completely cold, and she knew there wasn't much either of them could do when it came to going up against the man in front of him. "I'll yell for the guards."

"No you won't."

Emma couldn't even get out the scream before Killian clutched at his chest and doubled over in pain. Her eyes widened when she saw his heart pulsating in The Dark One's hand. "Don't!"

He grinned and squeezed a little, causing Killian to cry out in pain. 

Tears formed in Emma's eyes and she rested her hand against his back. "Don't kill him!"

"Why not? He's in the way." The Dark One's grin widened and he looked at the heart in his hand. "You're fooling yourself if you think he can be any good for you. Look, there's some darkness in here."

"I don't care! Give it back!"

"Or what?" Another squeeze. Another cry of anguish as Killian collapsed to the floor. "What can you do when you can barely control the magic you have?"

Emma glanced around for anything she could use, her eyes settling on the sword on the floor, but as she reached for it, it slid to the wall, and The Dark One's foot was close enough to her hand to crush it.

"Now now, dearie. It would be a shame if you got injured trying to protect someone who can't even protect you."

"Emma..." Killian grunted a little and started to push himself up onto his hands and knees. "Just...go. Don't worry about me. Go..."

"No! I'm not going to leave you! He'll kill you if I do." Emma's tears began to slide down her cheeks. "I can't lose you again." 

"What a sweet sentiment." The Dark One looked at them. "You know, Princess, this is easily fixed. I will give your soldier back his heart if you want."

"Yes! Give it back to him."

"Ah, but see we have to make a deal first. I have what you want, and you have what I want." 

"Don't do it Emma! I'm not worth any deal he wants from you." Killian cried out again with another squeeze.

"He really has no manners, interrupting us while we're talking." The Dark One smirked and stepped right up to Emma, holding the heart out to her. "What do you say, dearie? You give me what I want, and I give you back his heart?"

"What do you want?" Emma reached out a hand to touch the heart in his hand, but he snatched it back before she could touch it.

"You to come with me."

Emma bit her lip and stood, looking between Killian and The Dark One. "And if I don't go with you, what will you do to him?"

"Hm. Well, I could crush this right now and end it, or I can make him do whatever I want." The other man's smirk was back, but there was something more sinister about it. "For example..." He lifted the heart to his lips and spoke too quietly for Emma to hear.

Killian stood abruptly, his movement almost inhuman as he reached out and grabbed Emma's arm, his grip hard, fingers digging into her skin. His face showed no emotion at all, and his eyes seemed almost dead, though Emma was sure she saw a faint glimpse of pain in them. She tried to jerk her arm away, but he was too strong for her. "Killian, you're hurting me." She whimpered.

"Oh, should I have him let go or squeeze harder? It's entirely up to you."

Emma choked back a sob, losing the strength she had mustered to try to stand up against him in the first place, and she started to sag to the floor, but Killian's grip on her arm prevented her from breaking away from him, the weight on her arm as her body sank causing it to become even more painful. "Fine! You have a deal!"

She hit the floor with a thump, crumpled over herself and shaking as the sobs overtook her body. 

"Excellent!" The Dark One giggled. "Then I will let you do the honors."

Emma looked up at him, blinking back the tears as best she could. He was holding the heart out to her, and for a moment she wondered if she could take Killian's heart back and somehow get them out of there before he could stop her, but she knew it was hopeless. He was right when he said she could barely control her magic, and teleportation wasn't easy. She also knew that going back on a deal with The Dark One would be deadly for just about everyone she knew. 

Without a word, she took Killian's heart in her hands and looked down at it, watching the way it moved, a little weaker than it had been when it was first removed, but it was fighting, and she knew that she had to do whatever she could to make sure it could keep fighting. 

She closed her eyes and squeezed out a few more tears, trying to concentrate on the warmth of Killian's heart. Without a word, she opened her eyes again and stood, moving in front of Killian and looking up at him. She recognized his expression; it was the same tormented one she had seen in the mirror when she first thought he died. She knew the pain he was feeling, and she knew he would probably never forgive her for this, but what choice did she have? 

She pushed the heart back into his chest and rested her hands there, bowing her head for a moment before she looked up at him. Tears continued to trail down her cheeks as she whispered. "I love you."

And with that, everything went black.


	12. Letter

Killian was inconsolable.

It had been three days since Emma's disappearance. Three days since he had felt anything other than complete anguish, anger, hate, and every other negative emotion he could conjure up. Three days since he had been sober, though the king had tried to keep anyone from giving him any rum. Too bad for him Killian was a pirate, and a pirate always knew how to procure booze.

He sat on the floor in Emma's room, his head bowed, but lolling from side to side as he stared at the rug beneath him. He would rather drown in his own self-loathing than suffer the looks everyone gave him. It would be one thing if they looked at him with hate or anger, or if they blamed him for Emma's disappearance, but none of them did. If anything, they seemed more concerned about _his_ welfare than Emma's, though somewhere deep down he knew that wasn't true. He knew they were fighting their sorrow much better than he was, since at least they sprung into action.

And what could he do aside from sit here on the floor and avoid their piteous looks by drowning himself in bottle after bottle of rum?

He didn't even look up when the door opened. He knew better than to lock it, as the king would have it knocked down. But that also meant people came and went, checking on him, bringing him food that he usually didn't eat, and even sometimes just sitting there in silence.

This was not going to be one of those silent visits. He knew that as soon as he recognized the soft footsteps of the queen.

"Killian." She sat on the floor right in front of him and pushed him his chin so he would be forced to look at her. She was frowning, her eyes a little red and puffy, which was about the norm for her in the past three days. She always looked as if she had just been crying, but no one seemed to catch her in the act.

"I'm not hungry." He muttered, as if that was the only reason she could possibly be here, though he didn't smell any food.

"That's fine. I'm sure Emma would love to know you're starving yourself to death because you blame yourself for a decision she made."

"Was forced to make because of me..." Killian muttered, but his eyes widened a little. He hadn't told anyone that Emma decided to go with The Dark One in order to save him. He left all those details out when they asked. After all, what difference was there between her being taken and being forced to go?

The queen arched a brow at him. "You've hid some important information from us...hm?" But she didn't seem angry. In fact, she seemed to feel even more pity for him now than when she thought he blamed himself because he couldn't fight against The Dark One.

He tried to bow his head again, but she kept her hand steady, and all he could really do was look off to the side, something that made her frown even more.

"But I understand. You didn't want us to know that he had almost crushed your heart, and that Emma left because of that, hm?"

"How...?"

The queen let go of him and held out a piece of folded parchment, and while he was still a bit too drunk to be able to focus on the words, he did recognize Emma's handwriting.

"How...? Isn't she..."

"A prisoner? Yes, essentially she is, but apparently she's gotten to The Dark One in a way that forced him to concede to a few things. One of them was sending us this letter."

Killian dropped his head again.

"She sent one to you too, so perhaps you want t sober up enough to read it?" She held a sealed parchment out, making sure it interrupted his staring contest with the rug.

He took the letter and held it, his hand trembling just slightly. He didn't even bother to hide it, not now that the queen apparently knew everything.

"Killian." She lifted his head again and looked at him, her expression as soft as ever, but there was something hard in her eyes. Something he had seen before, but in Emma that first night in the tavern. But Emma's anger had been directed at him that night. This wasn't. "One thing The Dark One didn't seem to consider is that we can find Emma with these letters."

He knew the disbelief crossed his face when he saw the queen's expression change slightly, her lips pursing just a bit. "He's not that negligent."

"Or he wasn't expecting her to know enough to send a strip of her dress with it." The queen let go of him again and sat back a little, and now he could see the strip of shredded pink cloth tied around her wrist. "This is all you need for a tracking spell, right?"

Killian's eyes widened. Was it really that simple? Could they really just go to Emma? He was about to jump up and get ready to go when he realized that while finding Emma was easy, getting her away from The Dark One would not be. The thought sobered him, and he sighed. "What good will that do when we're going up against The Dark One?"

The queen shook her head. "It's the first step, that's all. And at least we know she hasn't been harmed, but the longer she's there, the more I worry that he'll do something." She stood and looked down at him before extending her hand out to him. "So for now, Killian, it's best if you stop drinking and start planning with us."

He hesitated, but he took her hand and pulled himself to his feet, wobbling a little as his legs tried to adjust to his weight after his extended stint on the floor. "I don't know what kind of plan you expect me to be able to come up with. I'm a pirate, not a strategist." He sighed and let go of the queen's hand once he stabilized. "If you need someone to charge in and cause damage, sure, but..."

"Except you did come up with a plan when you enacted your revenge against King George. A good one, too." She shook her head and walked towards the door. "But if it makes you feel better, we already have some ideas. We just want you to hear them and if you have any input, it's certainly welcome."

"Why? What reason do you have to trust me when I'm the reason Emma was taken in the first place? When I was the one who hurt her for all those years? I'm the one who was terrible. I still am terrible. I don't deserve any consideration."

"You do." She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled that soft smile he had seen so many times since coming back. "And the fact that you don't think you do is another reason why David and I trust you."

"I don't understand." Killian tried to wrap his head around that logic, but his brain was still a little fuzzy from three days of binge-drinking and self-loathing.

"You will. For now, let's go downstairs hm? Everyone is worried about you."

"Everyone should be worried about Emma." Killian's fists clenched, but he did his best to keep the bark out of his voice.

The queen simply smiled at him again, but this time it was laced with pity, and before he could say anything else, she turned and left the room.

He stood there for a moment, trying to calm himself. He was clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. But in that moment, he remembered the letter the queen had handed him. It was still on the floor where he once sat, so he took a deep breath and stopped squeezing the circulation out of his fingers.

He reached down and picked up the letter, breaking the wax seal and opening it. The letter was short, but his eyes scanned over the words what seemed like a hundred times.

_My Love,_  
_I do not want you to worry about me while I am here. I am being treated well, and I am in no danger. I am learning more about my magic as well. When I do get lonely and miss you, I look at the bracelet you gave me on your return from your most recent mission. It comforts me when I think about rushing into your arms on the dock that afternoon. I love you.  
Emma_

Killian crumpled the parchment in his hand. This couldn't have been a letter from Emma. It might have been her handwriting, but none of the words were hers. He was about to throw it across the room when he remembered what the queen said. In that letter, Emma had sent a strip of her dress. A pink dress. But Emma wasn't wearing pink the day she was taken. She was wearing green.

He moved, though his legs didn't seem like they could carry him fast enough. And when he slammed open the doors to the tactical room. He fell to his knees with the force of the push, panting as if he had never run before in his life. And maybe he hadn't, not like that anyway. "Don't use that spell!" As if his entrance hadn't startled the others enough, his shout certainly did, since they were all standing.

Killian lifted his head to look at the others. The queen was looking at him, eyes wide. The king's face had distorted into some combination of shock and anger. Regina was there as well, but she looked as calm and calculating as ever. Robin was next to her, shaking his head and looking almost disappointed. At who? At him? But there were others there he hadn't expected. Those seven dwarves, the wolf and her grandmother, and most surprising of all, a blue fairy.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The king was the first to speak, and his anger was clear. "Of course we're going to track Emma with this. Has all that rum broken your brain?"

"No. Don't use it." Killian pushed himself back to his feet and walked to the table, slamming down the crumpled letter. "It's a trap."

Regina clicked her tongue and took his letter, smoothing the creases out and looking down at the words. Her eyebrow arched a bit, but she looked back at Killian. She seemed to be studying his face before she nodded. "You should listen to the Captain."

"What?" The queen took the letter from her and looked at it. "But how can you tell?"

"Unlike the letter you received, which recounted what happened, the only true statement in this letter is the last one." Killian frowned. "Even if Emma wrote it, she had to have been forced to write something. You know as well as I do that our reunion wasn't so pleasant."

"But The Dark One doesn't know that..." The queen sighed and put the letter down. "Then why let her write the truth to us?"

"Well, he does know that you can use a tracking spell on someone's clothing, and what better way to get you to use that spell than to have Emma write the truth?" Regina practically snarled out the words, reaching out and untying the cloth from the queen's wrist. "And gloat a little that he was able to take her right out from under our noses?"

The king fell back into his chair and rested his hand. "And we would have just done it, too. Anything to get Emma back."

"We would have walked right into a trap." One of the dwarves grumped. "He could take us all out at once."

"But even if Emma was forced to write the letters, she outsmarted him just enough, right?" The queen looked at the others. "She saved us."

"From this, yes, but who knows if he caught on to her little lie or if he thinks she's too pure to do something like this. At the very least, we know she's safe enough. Even if he's forcing her hand, it's quite obvious that his son would keep her out of harm's way."

"What do you mean by that?" Killian frowned a little. The idea that Baelfire could be Emma's protector rubbed him the wrong way, and he was really bad at keeping those kinds of emotions in check.

"He's clearly smitten with her." Regina looked at him and smirked just slightly. "I would think that would make you more determined to get her back, wouldn't it?"

"Emma wouldn't." Killian muttered through his teeth.

"Of course she wouldn't." The queen sighed. "But what if The Dark One takes her heart?"

"He can't." Regina shook her head. "The Captain here and I made sure of that." She smirked again. "And The Dark One won't be too pleased if he tries and fails."

"Regina, you didn't..." The king stood again and frowned.

"I didn't." She held her hands up and shook her head. "I simply made sure there was no way anyone could."

"How? And you knew about it?" The king looked at Killian.

Killian nodded once. "I went to Regina immediately after you talked to me before the ball. I wanted to make sure there was something I could do to help protect Emma, so she enchanted my ring. The one Emma wears on a chain around her neck."

"But then won't she be unprotected if it comes off?" It was the queen's turn to sink to her seat. "Wouldn't he be able to sense the magic?"

"No. Give me some credit." Regina's voice lowered a bit. "She only needed to wear it for a day to absorb the enchantment. We did it that way on purpose. If I had just walked up to her and cast the spell on her directly, either she would freak out, or her own magic would reject it. If he did it," she nodded her head towards Killian, "she wouldn't even think twice about it. So she may be safe from that kind of control, there's no telling what those two will try to make her do."

Killian's fists clenched again. "Emma's not so weak."

"No, you're right." Regina looked at him. "But there's no telling what The Dark One will threaten. He already got her to go with him. What if his son decides he wants a princess for a bride?"

Killian's eyes narrowed, and he took a step towards Regina, but Robin stood between them and shook his head. "Don't take your anger out on anyone else but the man who deserves it."

"Bloody Crocodile." Killian practically spat the words, but he backed away from Robin. "Then what do you suggest? We can't track her, so now what?"

"They're probably at his castle." Red, the wolf girl chimed in. "Like Regina said, he's the type to gloat, and what better way to rub it in than keeping her in such an obvious place?"

"And I don't suppose we can just walk in there." Killian muttered.

"I wouldn't recommend breaking in either. That didn't work out so well for me, once." Robin shook his head. Killian glanced at him, but it was clear he didn't want to talk about it.

"We can just walk in there." Regina smirked. It sent a shiver down Killian's spine. "We just have to make a deal with him."

"That's the worst thing we could do!" The king shook his head. "No one in this room is making any deals with The Dark One."

"Oh shut up, David." Regina was still smirking, completely unfazed by the king's glare. "Our Captain will have no problem making such a deal. After all, he wants Emma back."

Killian didn't want to admit it, but she was right. He grimaced and looked at the king, who moved his glare onto him.

"This can't be a good idea. What if it ends up being a deal Emma can't recover from?" The queen sighed, and Killian could see the tears forming in her eyes. There was that overwhelming love and concern for her daughter, and Killian felt relief seeing it. He didn't want to be anyone's priority, not even Emma's.

"As long as she comes back," he started, but was cut off by the sound of the door opening.

He turned to see a woman standing there, a guard at her side, but it wasn't one of the castle guards. This man was dressed in all black, his face obscured by a rather frightening looking helmet. The woman, though dressed in a blue peasant's dress, was probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, though not as beautiful as Emma, of course.

"I'll make the deal with Rumple." She spoke, her voice soft. She walked towards them. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Killian was about to open his mouth to reject such a thing. After all, how could he let this woman, whoever she was, sacrifice herself for him?

But he couldn't get the words out as Robin ran past him and practically tackled the woman as he pulled her into a hug. "Belle!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will probably post a short Emma chapter next week, since I'll be on vacation in two!


	13. Facade

Emma sat at the window, looking out and watching the clouds as they drifted. They were free to float along while she was locked in this room with nothing to comfort her except the ring that hung on a chain around her neck. The ring that she was currently holding tightly in her fist as she watched the clouds. She didn't know exactly how long she had been sitting here, staring out the window, but it was long enough for Baelfire to check on her not once, but four times. 

And each time she ignored him as he fumbled with the key in the lock. She ignored the food he placed on the table. She ignored his sighs when he saw she hadn't touched the other food, and she most pointedly ignored his pleas for her to eat something. It wasn't until he said he was worried about her that she stopped ignoring him. 

Her head slowly turned away from the window, and her eyes locked on him. Cold. Unimpressed. Unmoved. He flinched a little and a smirk spread across her lips. The kind of smirk she had seen Regina give just before some biting remark. The kind of smirk that shouldn't be possible for someone as sweet as 'The Product of True Love.'

"You're _worried_ about me?" She laughed, and if she hadn't known her own thoughts, she would have terrified herself with such a laugh. The bitterness practically seeped from her and surrounded her like some sort of protective shield. 

"Of course I am, Emma."

"You don't get to call me that." She practically spat, standing up so suddenly that he took a step back. "You don't get to be informal with me." She took a step forward. "You don't get to worry about me. You don't get to do _anything_ because you're the reason I had to watch my fiancé writhe on the floor in pain as your father squeezed his heart." 

"I didn't tell him to do that!" Baelfire's eyes were wide, but Emma's expression didn't change. She wouldn't be swayed by that puppy face.

"But he did it because you told him you fell in love at first sight wanted to marry me. And now I've been taken from my family because of you. Do you think I'm going to willingly marry you? And if your father forces me, do you think I'll ever love you?" 

Baelfire took a step forward, though he looked like she had just slapped him, and she wished she had. "That's..."

There was a part of Emma that knew he never intended for this to happen, and that part of her felt sorry for him. He was just as much a victim of his father's whims as she was, but at the same time she knew he didn't try to stop The Dark One. She also knew he was happy she was here. "Why are you so shocked? It's not like you could have possibly expected this to work out in your favor."

He sighed and shook his head. "My father doesn't listen to me. He's the way he is because he never listened to me, and now he's trying too hard to make me happy, but he won't listen. Besides, he decided he wanted you here before I even said anything. We went to the ball so he could see you. I had nothing to do with it."

"But you won't go against him either."

"Would you? He's The Dark One."

"And you're probably the only person in this world, or any world, that he won't purposely hurt."

Baelfire opened his mouth to retort, but his words seemed to die in his throat as Emma sat back down by the window and looked out of it.

"Killian will come for me, you know." She said, her hand clutching that ring again. 

"He'll die." 

Was that concern in Baelfire's voice? It couldn't have been, right? He couldn't be that normal with a father like his. Emma shook her head a bit to clear any of those kinds of thoughts. "He will come. And if he dies, then so will you." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "You don't think my parents will let that slide, do you? And even if they're too good to take personal revenge, I am not so forgiving."

"You can't be serious." Baelfire shook his head. "You wouldn't kill me."

"You don't know me well enough to know that." She looked back out the window and clutched the ring so hard, she felt the chain dig into her hand. If she could hold the bluff just a little longer, then maybe he would leave her alone. 

"But...your parents are—" 

"And all children are exactly like their parents? So you must be just as dark and twisted as your father."

"I wanted him to change! I tried to get him to change! He's the one who didn't come into the portal with me!"

"And so what makes you so confident that I'm as noble as my father and as pure as my mother?" She watched his reflection in the window this time, rather than turning to look at him. She didn't want to crack at such a crucial moment.

"I just am."

"Well, then for your sake, you better hope no one hurts Killian, or you won't be able to be so sure." She closed her eyes. "Leave."

"But—"

"Leave." Emma stared at window, watching his reflection back out the door. She remained tense until the door shut and she heard the key click in the lock. She deflated, then, her forehead resting against the glass as she looked down at the ring in her hand, the gold now a bit smeared by blood from the cuts of the chain. 

If she could have convinced him even for a moment that she was truly this unpleasant, maybe he would leave her alone. Maybe she could get out of here without anyone else having to risk themselves. 

But she knew The Dark One wasn't so benevolent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I can't post next week, you get a short chapter a week early! Yay! :D


	14. Plan

Tense couldn't even begin to describe the atmosphere in the room. Killian sat back in his chair and nursed the third cup of tea the queen has pushed in front of him. She even pretended not to see the rum he discretely poured into each one. The only one who visibly noticed was that woman Belle, but she simply looked at him with what was probably pity. Killian couldn't fault her for that, though it did agitate him to some extent. She didn't know who he was, so how was she to know that the last thing he wanted was anyone's pity?

Especially from a woman who just declared, despite never having met him before, that she would make a deal with The Dark One to get Emma back?

Killian only half listened as Regina and Belle took turns talking, telling a story about how Belle was that vile man's servant. About how Regina had kidnapped her back during her Evil Queen days to try to get to him. How she let Belle go once the curse failed and The Dark One was gone, but she had one of her old palace guards stay with her in case something like this happened. Well, not exactly like this. Regina said she wanted some sort of backup plan in case The Dark One came after her. No one really expected him to come back, though, and they definitely didn't expect him to come after Emma. But here they were, having some huge round-table discussion as if any of it mattered.

So rather than listen intently to the details, Killian drank his 'tea' and watched everyone's expressions. The hope in the queen's eyes seemed to be infectious, since the king had a similar look. Regina was frowning as she usually did when things got serious, which made her look like she was about to burn the whole place down. Belle looked troubled, her lips pursing and her forehead scrunched as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Robin just nodded whenever either woman spoke, and he held Regina's hand, which seemed to keep her from exploding in anger. 

It wasn't until the queen put her hand on Killian's shoulder that he started paying full attention again. He glanced over at her, and she smiled softly. She knew. He didn't care about anything other than getting Emma back.

"And what do you propose we do? Just walk up to his castle and knock on the door?" Regina rolled her eyes as she asked. "Like that's going to work."

"He's going to see us coming no matter what we try." Robin seemed to be trying to soothe Regina, since he leaned in a little closer to her. "And I don't think any of us want to be chained up and whipped in the dungeon."

"We're not all going anyway." Belle's voice was soft, but there was an edge to it that drew more attention than Regina's snort of disbelief. "Just the two of us." She nodded in Killian's direction.

Normally Killian would have made some sort of flirtatious comment about the lass wanting to be alone with him, or some such nonsense. Normally he would have grinned or winked. But instead he just looked at her and nodded once. 

The king shook his head. "Absolutely not." He frowned and leaned forward. "We already know Killian has no edge over The Dark One, and forgive me Belle for saying this, but what can you do? You were his prisoner. And what?"

Belle's lips thinned and she went silent. 

"He was fond of her." Robin shrugged a little. "To what extent, I don't know, but I know it's because of Belle that I was able to escape and save Marian without his retribution."

"Besides, David, do you really think I would have taken her and told him she was dead if I didn't think it would affect him? Look who we're talking about here." Regina smirked. "I was bad. He was worse. And I got under his skin with that."

"You told him I was dead?" 

"Do you really think I could have kept you so long if he thought you were still alive?"

Belle shook her head. "I knew you were horrible, but that's too much!"

"Look. Regina's done way worse than kidnapping and lying." The queen frowned. "And we can spend years talking about it if you really want, but things are different now, and we have to get my daughter back." 

Killian couldn't help it, he grinned widely at the queen's harsh tone. When she got serious, she certainly meant business. And with the way it made even the king sit back? He was impressed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't care one bit about any of this stuff. All I care about is Emma. So can we get on with this?" This time he drank directly from his flask rather than trying to mask the rum in the tea. 

"Well, no one's getting Emma back if you keep drinking, Captain." Regina sneered a little. "How are you going to be any help if you can't walk?"

"Forgive me, _Your Majesty_. I can walk just fine." Killian somehow managed a sarcastic bow even when leaning back in his chair. His grin faded as his lips curled into a snarl. "I suppose you want me to march over there right now?"

"Stop." The king groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Now is not the time for this. Regina, I know you think this is your fault because you were training Emma. And Killian, I know you think it's your fault because you were there when she was taken, but both of you lashing out isn't going to make it better, even when it's not anyone but The Dark One's fault."

"I'm sorry." Belle shook her head. "I was just startled. If Rumple thinks I'm dead..." She straightened herself up. "This might work out even better than I thought."

"How?" Robin had one arm around Regina's shoulder's now, so he was half leaning into her when he looked at Belle. 

Belle shook her head, and for a moment her lips twitched into a soft smile before it faded. "It'll take him by surprise for sure. Not that it wouldn't have before, but if he truly thought I was dead, he might not know what to do if I'm suddenly alive again."

"So we need to keep that element of surprise." The queen nodded. "We'll just have to give you an appropriate disguise. Nothing he'd think you'd wear." She pushed back from the table and stood. "I have something perfect for that."

"And what about Killian? He probably shouldn't go in that." Belle nodded towards him again.

Killian glanced down at the uniform he wore, though the doublet was unbuttoned and falling open, the shirt beneath rather messy and untucked from the pants. "I can wear it properly you know."

"That isn't what I mean. He's seen you in that uniform." Belle smiled again. "And while he probably expects you, he will be expecting the captain, not the man." 

Killian shifted a little in his chair. "I doubt you'd want to travel with the man, lass." He muttered, reaching for his flash before he caught the king's glare, so he stopped before he grasped it. 

"It's a good idea." The king said, though his gaze remained steady on Killian. "Take your ship, and your crew, as far as you can, but remain out of sight. Then the two of you can travel the rest of the way. He'll be looking for the royal fleet, but he won't be looking for a pirate ship."

"You're a pirate?" Belle's eyes widened.

"Aye. Still want to travel with the man?" Killian grinned a bit, but he hissed when the queen grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. 

"But you're a pirate with a code, aren't you, Killian?" She said before she leaned down, her lips close to his ear, but the whisper was loud enough for everyone to hear. "Besides, we both know that you don't want us to have to punish you for your crimes, hm?"

Belle's eyes were even wider. "Crimes?"

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about, Belle." The queen's smile was back, and she let go of Killian's shoulder. "He'll be a perfect gentleman."

"I'd be a perfect gentleman even without finger bruises on my shoulder, Your Majesty." Killian lifted his hand to rub the spot the queen squeezed. "Besides, you know I wouldn't do anything, and my crew won't betray me. If any of them try to lay a finger on her, that finger will find a home at the bottom of the sea, along with the rest of the arm."

"Then it's settled." The king nodded and stood. "Snow, why don't you get Belle that disguise you mentioned. Killian, I'm sure you don't need any help." He arched a brow. "But if you're too drunk to do it, Grumpy can go with you."

"I'm fine." Killian frowned. The idea of being helped by anyone, let alone that cranky dwarf did not sit well with him. 

"Then you sober up and rest. The two of you will leave in the morning."


	15. Change

“Oh good. I was wondering if I would have to force you to eat.” 

Emma sat at the window and watched The Dark One’s reflection as he stood in the door. She had decided to eat this morning, but only because she didn’t want to be weak when Killian came. She also made Baelfire eat pieces of it first when he came to deliver it. If something was wrong with the food, it’d affect him first, and what better potential victim than this twisted man’s son?

But if that man was expecting some sort of reply or acknowledgement from her, he wasn’t going to get it. Not that he seemed to care, as he picked up the plate and kept his gaze on her. “I’d like you to come with me.”

Emma clenched her hand around Killian’s ring and closed her eyes. She needed to try to remain as calm as possible when talking to this man. She knew the forced cruelty she had used on Baelfire the other day wasn’t going to work with The Dark One, but she also knew that letting too much of any emotion out around him could be dangerous. “No.” She kept her voice even, her eyes opening to look out at the sky once again. 

“And here I was trying to be polite because you’re royalty.”

“That didn’t stop you from hurting someone I love and forcing me to come here to save him.” Emma shook her head a little and tucked that ring back into her dress and turned her body a bit to look at him. “I don’t quite know what you want from me, but I don’t plan on giving it to you, and I definitely won’t marry your son.”

The Dark One looked at her and seemed to be studying her for a moment before he grinned just a little. “I don’t know what gave you that idea, but that’s not why you’re here.”

She blinked, completely caught off guard by that. “What?”

“I didn’t bring you here to marry Bae, as much as he thinks he fell in love with you at first sight. He’s too idealistic for his own good sometimes. Besides, Why would I want my son to be with someone who will only hurt him?” 

“Well it’s good to know you care about at least one person’s well-being.” Emma rolled her eyes a little and frowned. “So why did you force me to come here?”

“You can’t figure it out?” His grin widened. “What could you have that I would want? I certainly didn’t bring you here for your personality and charming company.” 

She continued to frown, but she said nothing.

“Or your intelligence.” He snorted. “Dearie, it’s your magic I want.”

“What?” Emma pressed herself back against the window as if that would keep him away from her. “Don’t you have enough of it?”

“But I don’t have yours.” He shrugged a little. 

Emma didn’t know if the way he was so nonchalant about all of it was scarier than the idea of wanting her magic, but either way, she was terrified. She kept herself against the window, and watched him, trying her best to keep her breathing as steady as possible. “I obviously don’t intend to give it to you.” She managed.

“I know. That’s why I want you to follow me.” The Dark One shrugged again and walked to the door. “Your magic is no good to me unless you give it to me yourself. I can’t take it from you.”

“Then you shouldn’t have forced me to come here. And you definitely shouldn’t have hurt Killian just to get me here.”

“As Bae will tell you, I’m rather bad at trying to be good, so I go with what I know.” He walked out of the room, but he left the door wide open.

Emma stayed against that window and watched the now open doorway, waiting for it to be slammed shut, or for something to come in and hurt her. But several minutes passed and nothing happened. She left her perch and took slow steps towards that doorway. There wasn’t anything in the room that she could have used as a weapon, or she would have threatened Baelfire with it when he brought her food on the first day, so she clenched her fists and looked around as she stepped out of the room.

Nothing.

She looked around the hallway and frowned a little. Her room was at one end, so she walked towards the staircase. She didn’t trust this, but anything was better than being locked up in that room for days, right? 

Even having to deal with the two people she hated more than anything else in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the little Emma chapters are short. XD This one is extra short because school starts again on Monday and I have so much work to do, I ran out of free time! :O!


	16. Trust

Killian sat in the tavern, his back against the wall just as Emma’s had been that night he was finally able to talk to her. His fingers drummed against the counter as he watched his men drink and laugh. Normally he would join them. Normally he would drink half of them under the table, and then laugh and get rowdier with the other half. Normally he would have fun.

But now he didn’t think that would be possible without Emma at his side.

So he sat there and watched his men. He nodded whenever one of them looked over at him as if to check if he still sat against the wall, or if he had been whisked away to the palace again. He pretended not to notice their piteous glances when they thought he wasn’t looking. These were his men, and while he didn’t want anyone’s pity, he was thankful that these men cared about him. After all, they had been through more together than most people, and they stood by him when he found out the truth about his brother. They stood by him when he decided to go against the man who drove Liam to madness. They even stood by him as they were forced into those naval uniforms. Of course, all of them seemed pleased to be back into their old leathers rather than the decorated jackets and striped pants. 

Killian stopped drumming his fingers on the counter and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his old, familiar black jacket, closing his eyes for a moment and just relishing in the sounds surrounding him. The clinking of glasses and the cheers. The drunken slurs and bad jokes. All of it felt better than sitting at a table with a bunch of royals and their overbearing sense of self-righteousness. He knew he could get used to that, since he had been in the thick of it before he left, but right now that wasn’t what he needed. He needed this controlled chaos because without it, he just might snap.

“So this is where you ran off to.” 

Killian opened his eyes and looked over at the woman who sat in the stool next to him. He expected the king, the queen, or even Regina to come find him after he ran off, but he certainly didn’t expect Belle.

She didn’t look at him as she sat at the counter. She just ordered some ale and smiled at Richard. Killian caught his eye, but he didn’t acknowledge the worry in the man’s expression. 

“Did you think I’d just take my ship and leave?” He tilted his head back against the wall and watched her out of the corner of his eye. 

“No.” She shook her head and wrapped her fingers around the mug in front of her. “You care about the princess too much to do something so reckless.”

She was right. Killian did some dangerous things, but he wasn’t one to take risks when he didn’t think he could beat the odds. And while this was a huge risk he would normally never consider (he couldn’t even really be sure this exchange would work), he would do anything to try to get Emma back. “So why did you come here?”

Belle’s lips thinned for a moment, but then she shrugged and drank some of her ale, turning to look at him once she put the mug down again. “I don’t want to be around Regina.”

Killian couldn’t help the chuckle. He certainly didn’t blame the lass, especially if Regina had done the kind of horrible things Regina was known for. “That’s reasonable.”

“Yes, well…” Belle frowned. Killian might have been startled by it, since such an expression seemed so unnatural for her, but he had seen Emma frown, and that was much more startling. “She might have changed, but she’s still the one who kidnapped me and convinced Rumple I was dead.”

Killian couldn’t say he understood why Belle was so upset about it, but his only experience with The Dark One was more than unpleasant, and he couldn’t imagine why it mattered whether the vile man thought she was dead or not, but he wasn’t going to question her. But before he could even think of something to say, she continued.

“He must be so sad.” She sighed and drank.

“What?” The Dark One? Sad? That had to be the most ridiculous thing he heard. “He certainly didn’t sound sad when he giggled as he squeezed my heart in his hand.”

“He’s too proud to let anyone see how he really feels.” She looked down at her drink. “It’s not like we parted on good terms anyway, but it’s been so long, he really must be hurting.”

“If you say so.”

She shook her head. “I understand. You don’t believe that I could see anything good in that man. No one does. But it’s there. I’ve seen it.” She pushed her drink away and looked at Killian again. “I don’t think he would have taken the princess to hurt her. I’m sure he has some reason that he thinks is good enough, but he always goes about things the wrong way. Not that it makes it any better.”

“You’re right. It doesn’t make it better.” Killian clenched his fists a little, though he was thankful he had shoved his hands into his pockets earlier, since he was able to channel his anger and keep it off his face. She spoke as though The Dark One was almost normal, rather than someone who was capable of killing someone to get what he wants, someone who was clearly willing to do so. 

“Killian, I’m not upset that you don’t believe me. I would be shocked if you could believe me after what he did to you to get to her. He makes bad decisions. He always did, and I’m sure he always will. But he’s not completely heartless. He’s just lonely.”

“Hm.” Killian shrugged and looked back over at his men. “You must either be the realm’s nicest person, or the most naïve, if you truly believe something like that.”

“Anyone would be lonely living in a place like that with no one to keep you company. He always played it off, but he was definitely much happier with me there than before. I can’t imagine how much he’s suffered since then.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t much. He’s not alone.”

“Well now he’s not, but I’m not talking about the princess.”

“Well he wasn’t alone before he took Emma, either. I’m sure he only took Emma because he wanted her to marry that spineless son of his.”

“What?” Belle stood so abruptly, the stool hit the floor with a crash. “What are you talking about?”

Killian shrugged as he slid off his own seat and picked up the stool, setting it right and sitting down against the wall again before he spoke, “There’s no other reason to take her.”

“But his son?”

“Yes, the twit that came with him when he interrupted the ball. He kept staring at Emma.” Killian frowned and looked at her. 

“I see.” Belle frowned again and shook her head. “I don’t think he would go to such extremes just for a wedding, so there has to be something else.” She remained standing, nudging the stool a little as if to push it out of her way. “I’m sure of it.”

“Not that I’m fond of the idea of Emma being forced to marry anyone else, I’m not sure I’d want there to be a something else. That makes it sound worse.” He frowned at her.

“I still don’t think she’s in any real danger, Killian.” Belle was still frowning, though the curve of her lips didn’t seem as severe as it had moments before. “It’s probably too much to ask you to trust me about that, but I’m going to ask anyway.”

“And if you’re wrong?”

“Then we worry about it when we’re sure.” She shook her head and turned her back to him. “I’m going to head back. I assume you’ll still be here in the morning when I return?”

“I have no intention of leaving without you, lass.” Killian snorted a little. “Even if I don’t understand your optimism.”

“Good.” Belle didn’t say anything else as she walked away from him and out the tavern door.

Killian groaned a little and watched that door for a while, expecting someone else to come barging in, but no one came. The only time the door opened was when someone stumbled outside, presumably to head home. Something he should do as well.

“All right boys.” He called as he pushed himself off his seat and started to the door. “We have a ship to prepare.” There were some groans, but several of the men immediately scrambled behind him. He knew the rest would make it back to the ship eventually. 

The walk back to the Jolly Roger was short, but it gave Killian the time he needed to process what Belle had said to him. Sure, he had been angry for a majority of the conversation, but as her words sunk in, he found himself almost desperately hoping she was right. Maybe she did know that man well enough for those things to be true. Maybe he could put some trust into those words. Maybe everything would be okay.

He tried to push back the darker thoughts. The ones that tended to sit in the back of his mind and remind him that things are never what they seem. That he had put his trust in the wrong places before. It happened with Liam, and he was his brother. But Belle really wasn’t like Liam at all, was she? She did not seem to be swayed by the bad. After all, she didn’t seem capable of actually hating Regina after everything, and she did seem to find something in The Dark One worth carrying about.

So even if Belle wasn’t right about any of it, and this whole thing really was a means to force Emma to marry someone else, he could at least put his trust into their love, couldn’t he? He could trust Emma to do everything she possibly could to at least delay something bad. 

After all, he was the one in Emma’s heart, and there was no way someone could take that from her.


	17. Rescue

“You’re not trying.”

Emma couldn’t help but feel a little bit of satisfaction every time The Dark One grew frustrated when she didn’t perform as he expected. It had been this way for days. Each time he stomped his foot and threw his hands in the air was just another little victory for her. She wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Not after what he did to Killian.

“You’re horrible at explaining things.” She shrugged and looked at him, somehow managing to keep the smirk off her face as he sneered at her. “Maybe you shouldn’t assume I can do things I can’t do.”

“You can do them.” He snorted. “You’re just not.”

“Then I can’t do them.” She crossed her arms and shook her head. “And it’s pointless to try to force me to do something I can’t do.”

“I would never have thought a princess with such headstrong parents would believe she can’t do anything.” The Dark One rolled his eyes a little and stepped closer to her, still sneering. “Especially not after being raised by them and Regina.”

“Well, you don’t really think about much of anything but yourself, so I’m not surprised.” Emma frowned and kept her arms crossed. She knew she probably shouldn’t be talking to him this way, given his power, but he already admitted he wanted her magic, and he couldn’t take it from her, and as long as that was true, he couldn’t really do anything to her, could he? 

The man giggled a little and stepped back. “Maybe you’re not so hopeless after all. You are definitely as stubborn as your parents.”

“Well, I’m definitely not as nice and forgiving as them.” Emma shook her head, sitting on one of the chairs and crossing her legs. “So I hope you didn’t think this was going to be easy.”

“So you’re doing it on purpose?” He giggled a little, and Emma didn’t know if that was because he found it amusing, or because he was going to do something terrible in retaliation. “You’re right. You’re certainly not as forgiving. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected you to be.”

“And you can’t do anything to me because you want my magic.” Emma stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes. “And you can’t do anything to my friends, my family, or my fiancé because then you know I’ll never give anything to you.”

The Dark One looked at her, and he almost looked taken back by her boldness. “Yes, well. You are right, I suppose. And I sure got an earful from Bae when I brought you here.” He clucked his tongue. “So I guess I’ll just have to keep training you until you get tired of it and stop fooling around.”

“I’m not actually fooling around, you know.” She shook her head. “I’m not exactly putting all my effort into things, but my lack of ability here isn’t because I’m choosing not to do it. Like you said the night you made me leave with you, I can barely control the magic I have. I didn’t even know I had it until about a week before the ball.”

He clucked his tongue and frowned. “I was just being intimidating, since there was no way you could go up against me. I didn’t think it would actually be completely true.”

“Well it is. And this sort of training or whatever you want to call it, is annoying and it’s not working.” 

“You don’t want it to work.” 

“Of course I don’t want it to work! Can you blame me?” She uncrossed her legs and her arms and jumped up from the chair. “Do you really think I would want to do this after you forced me to come here and locked me in some room? I just wanted to get out, get a change of clothes, and get some fresh air!”

“So you’re telling me I should just lock you up again?” He took a step closer to her.

“You could try, but what is that going to do for you? I’m only going to hate you more than I already do.” She stood her ground, even as he walked right up to her.

“And if I do this?” His hand thrust forward and he took a hold of her heart, but his face contorted as he tried to pull it out of her chest and was unable to.

“Did you think that would work?” Emma glared at him. “Do you think I’d let you try to control me like you did to Killian?” She smirked as he let go and pulled his hand back. 

But all he did was stare down at his hand. He didn’t come up with some snappy reply. He didn’t even strike out at her. He just turned and started to walk away from her.

For a split second, Emma felt a twinge of guilt, but that was gone as soon as it came. It wasn’t like she wanted him to take her heart, and she didn’t think she actually had the power to stop him, so as she watched him walk away, her brows furrowed and she lifted her hand to her chest. Her eyes widened when she felt Killian’s ring resting on the chain beneath her shirt. So this was it. She pulled the chain out and looked down at the ring. There was nothing magical in it, not now anyway. The training had at least helped her learn how to detect that.

Then she remembered how warm it felt when he gave it to her, the way that warmth seemed to spread through her body when it rested against her chest, and she smiled. Even though he couldn’t physically protect her from The Dark One, he had actually given her the best protection she could have ever needed. Whatever magic was in that ring then was now what prevented him from taking her heart, and the relief that washed over her almost made her sink back into the chair again.

But as soon as she started to relax, she heard the door slam open. 

“You can’t do this!” It was Baelfire’s voice that caused her to whip around, her eyes wide. 

Standing just inside the doors were three figures, and upon seeing them, her heart skipped several beats. There was Killian, in all of his black leather and pirate attitude, an arm around Baelfire’s neck with his pistol pointed at his head. It was a little odd that Baelfire didn’t look as scared as he should in his position, and he wasn’t struggling beyond grabbing Killian’s arm as it rested around his neck. Her mother was also there, standing beside them.

No. That wasn’t her mother. It was her mother’s hunting regalia, but her mother would never wear the hood so low as to hide her face. It was most certainly a woman, but who could it have been if it wasn’t her mother? It wasn’t Regina, the posture was all wrong, and if it were Red, she would just wear her hunting leathers and not her mother’s. 

Emma opened her mouth to call out Killian’s name, but she was practically pushed aside as The Dark One rushed forward, only to stop a few inches in front of her. “Let him go.”

“Let her go.” Killian sneered and pressed the pistol a little harder into Baelfire’s temple. “An even trade.”

“How is that an even trade? My son was already here!”

“And Emma wasn’t when you took her.” Killian frowned. “But that didn’t stop you.”

“Killian!” Emma started past The Dark One, but he grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Killian, I’m fine! I’m not hurt! Please don’t do something you’ll regret.”

“Oh? And why would I regret this?” Killian looked at her, and there seemed to be a darkness in his eyes that scared her more than The Dark One ever did. “If it means getting you back, love?”

“Please…” Emma sighed, sagging a bit in The Dark One’s grip even as she felt the heat from the fireball forming in his other hand. “Please don’t do anything that will get you killed…”

The woman standing behind Killian stepped in front of him and lifted her hands to pull the hood off her head. The heat from the forming fire completely disappeared, and the grip on Emma’s arm was gone. She found herself falling to the floor even as she looked up to see just who could cause him to stop like that. It was a woman she had never seen before. One with bright eyes, which were filled with tears, even as a smile came to her lips. “Rumple…” 

“Belle?”


	18. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short! I wanted to get a longer one, but my brain is failing me!

Killian took advantage of The Dark One’s moment of confusion to step out, pistol still drawn, and grab Emma’s arm, pulling her into him and holding her against his chest. She all but melted against him, and he could feel her hands trembling as she gripped his shirt. The dark feelings that had been growing inside of him since they arrived, welled up a little, but he forced it down. Getting Emma safely away was the priority.

“This is a trick.” The other man sneered, his eyes narrowed. Whatever shock he felt, he seemed to be over, because now he just looked enraged.

“How could it possibly be a trick?” Belle’s smile faltered, but she held her ground in front of The Dark One. “Rumple, shouldn’t you be able to tell if I’m real or not?”

“Killian…” Emma whispered, and he looked down at her. Her eyes filled with tears, but she was smiling at him, and for a minute all he wanted to do was sweep her up and kiss her until neither of them could breathe, but now was not the time. “You came for me.”

“Of course I did, love.” He whispered. “But we shouldn’t stay here.”

“But…” She looked over at the other woman. “What about her?”

Belle spoke without turning her head back to address them. “Don’t worry about me. As much as Rumple thinks he wants to hurt me, he can’t.”

“That’s where you’re fooling yourself dearie.” 

Killian watched as Belle shook her head and walked right up to The Dark One, her hands coming out and touching his cheeks. He watched the way that twisted man’s angry expression completely melted. 

“See?” She said. “It is me. This isn’t a trick.”

“Belle…” The Dark One sank against her and rested his forehead against her shoulder. Her arms came around him and she turned her head enough to look at Killian and Emma. “You two should go.”

“But…” Emma started, looking between Belle and Killian.

“Emma, we shouldn’t hesitate.” Killian nudged her, and for a moment she stood her ground, but then she nodded and gripped his hand, so he lead her out through the doors. 

He remained silent as he walked with her, but he clutched her hand, careful not to crush her fingers. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say, since anything he could have come up with would have paled in comparison to how he felt at having her with him once more. 

So he was thankful that Emma broke the silence.

“He didn’t hurt me.” She said. Killian glanced at her, but her eyes were locked on the ground. “But I was scared.” 

Killian stopped and turned so he could rest his other hand on her shoulder. “Emma..” When she wouldn’t look up at him, he moved that hand to gently nudge up her chin. “I won’t let you go again.”

She nodded a little and stepped closer to him, letting go of his hand, but wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face into his shoulder. “I was so scared that he would get angry with me and lash out and go back to hurt you.” 

“He couldn’t hurt me any more than he already had. When he took you, it was the most pain anyone could have caused me.” He rested a hand on the back of her head and stroked her hair a little. “And now you’re with me again, and I’ll die before I let you go.”

“Please don’t.” Emma whispered and clung to him that much tighter. “Don’t leave me in any way.” 

Killian sighed a little and gently twisted some of her hair between his fingers. “Of course not love. I have no intention of leaving you. I just will do anything to keep you from being taken from me.”

“It won’t happen.” She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him. “He actually showed me some ways to deal with my magic. I just…” She shook her head again. “He said he wanted me to give him my magic, but I could only do it willingly, but he never told me why he needed it.”

Killian frowned, and he felt that darkness creeping up again. “Then he’ll come after you again.”

“I don’t know.” She stepped back from him, but she kept looking at him. “I want to say I don’t think he will, but I don’t know why he needed it in the first place.”

“Well, you’ll forgive me if I say I’m not exactly keen on marching back in there and asking him to find out?”

“I don’t want to know either. I just want to go home with you.” 

He nodded and took her hand again, intertwining their fingers before he started leading her back down the road. He knew she would have questions, considering how long she had been gone, but he wasn’t sure he would be able to answer them to her satisfaction. Not when he had been so concerned with her instead of with everyone else. And even in those moments of clarity, he still paid very little attention to anyone else.

“Killian?” 

Here it came. He glanced at her and tried to make himself seem as normal as possible. “Yes, Love?”

“Are you okay?”

Well, that was certainly unexpected, but he didn’t want her to think she had startled him, so he kept walking. “Yes, of course I am. I have you back with me.”

“No, I mean.” She let go of his hand only to hug his arm, leaning against his side as they walked. “You just…I don’t know. You seem different than you were before.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, Emma.” He looked ahead again. It wasn’t as though he had been drinking since boarding the Jolly on his way to save her, so he was sure that wasn’t it. Perhaps she had seen that bit of darkness in him, and now she was having second thoughts? What would he do if that were the case?

“Hm. Okay.” Emma went quiet again, but Killian could feel her eyes on him. 

“Unless you think I got less handsome, but I would have to tell you you’re wrong about that.” He glanced at her and smirked. Perhaps a bit of flirtation could deflect anything serious.

“Of course I wouldn’t think that. If anything, you got more handsome, but that may just be because I haven’t seen you in a little while.” She matched his smirk, and he hoped that meant his deflection worked. “But that isn’t what I meant.” 

“Then what do you mean?” He should have known the defection wouldn’t work, but at least it had been worth a shot.

“When you came to save me, and you were aiming that pistol at him, there was something in your eyes that worried me. I don’t see it now, but I feel like it’s still there.” She sighed and hugged his arm a little tighter. “I was scared. Not of you, but of what was happening to you. I never saw you look so angry, and if you’re still feeling that way, I want to help you.”

“Of course I was angry.” He shook his head. “Anyone in my position would be angry. But Emma, do remember that for years I let my rage consume me. I have been holding it back ever since I took care of the man who caused my brother’s death, but that doesn’t mean it left me completely.” 

When her brows furrowed a little with that, and she opened her mouth to say something, he quickly shook his head and continued, “And it doesn’t mean I was letting it consume me again, but I won’t lie and say it wasn’t there.” 

She sighed and rested her cheek against his shoulder. “All right. But…it was a little scary.”

“Never towards you, love. I swear.”

She nodded slightly. “All right, I believe you.” She kept herself close, and that was enough to keep Killian from worrying that she would pull away from him. 

“Forgive me for frightening you.” He whispered.

“Will you make it up to me?” She looked up at him again, and her eyes glistened a little, but Killian wasn’t sure if she was about to cry or not.

“That depends on how you would like me to make that up to you. I won’t do anything that will end up hurting you.”

“This won’t hurt me.” 

“Then yes, of course I’ll do whatever you ask to make it up to you.”

Emma smiled a little and leaned up, kissing him. “Then when we get back, I want you to marry me.”


	19. Return

Emma knew she had shocked Killian when she said it. She knew he was going to end up staring at her with this completely dumbfounded look on his face. She knew he wouldn’t even be able to formulate words to answer. What she didn’t know is that his entire face would turn bright red. It didn’t really make sense to her. They were already engaged. Clearly that meant she wanted to marry him. So why blush now? Was it because she said it and not him? Was it because she really meant it? That as soon as they get back she wanted to be married, so no one could potentially take that from them? Was it something else?

“Killian?” She didn’t want to think this was a bad thing, but as more time passed without him saying anything, a small pit started to twist in her stomach. Maybe he didn’t really want to marry her? Maybe he was red out of anger? 

“Of course, love.” Killian’s face was still red, and his eyes were a little wider now than they were earlier, but at least he was speaking. “I just wasn’t expecting that, so I needed to regain my composure.”

“Well if this is you regaining it, you’re doing a lousy job.” Emma poked one of his red cheeks, but she smiled, that pit vanishing at his confirmation. “It’s really okay?” 

He nodded. “But why so suddenly? Are you worried something like this might happen again?”

Of course she was. He had to know that, right? He had to be worried about the same thing. Maybe he just didn’t want to admit it. So she nodded and took both of his hands in hers and pulled him closer. “Besides, my parents will be so happy to have me home that they’ll give me anything I want. Even if it means a quick marriage so I can sail off somewhere so no one can bother us.”

“And that’s what you want?” Killian squeezed her hands gently. “You want to be stuck on a pirate ship with a bunch of scruffy men?”

“Well, not with them, with you. They’re just necessary, hm?” Emma smiled and let go of him, walking a bit ahead, her hands linked behind her back. “Since you wouldn’t want to leave them, right?”

Killian scrambled to catch up with her, grabbing one of her hands, which caused her to smile a little. “Of course. I can’t leave my men. It’s not right.”

“You’re such a good captain.” Emma smiled, but she didn’t say anything else until they reached the ship, and even then, she only smiled at the men as Killian helped her up. She only smiled even as she went down into the cabin and sat on his bed, her hands resting on her lap as she looked at him. He couldn’t have known just relieved she was, and how much fear she had actually been holding back. And now that she was off her feet, she felt her whole body sink into the mattress. She felt the tears come to her eyes and side down her cheeks even though she was still smiling. She felt the warmth of Killian’s arms as he rushed to her side to hold her, letting her press her face against his chest as she sobbed, choking on her tears.

She didn’t know how long she cried, but by the time she calmed, she could feel the ship moving. She could see through the windows that the sun had sunk almost completely below the horizon. And Killian had held her and rubbed her back the entire time. “Sorry…” She managed.

He shook his head and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t you apologize for anything, love. You’ve gone through a lot. Besides, I won’t tell anyone hm? I want to keep this memory to myself. You clinging to me so desperately.”

“Jerk.” Emma looked up at him, but she closed her eyes as his hands came to wipe the last years off her cheeks. “You aren’t supposed to like that.”

“How could I not like it when the woman I love is in my arms and clinging to me like she never wants to let me go? I didn’t like that you were crying, though, if that’s what you mean.”

“Ugh you’re smooth even when you’re being a jerk.” Emma hit his chest lightly and pulled out of his arms, pressing her hands against her cheeks as if that would make them feel better after so many tears. “How long have we been at see?

“Since about ten minutes after you started crying.” Killian stood and stretched. “I’ll get you some food. You should stay here. We’ll be back by morning, and it’ quite chilly on deck once the sun is gone.”

Emma could only nod as she watched him leave the room. She laid back against the bed and looked up at the wood planks above her. The last time she had been in here, she had felt much differently about Killian than she felt now. Well, maybe not completely differently, since she never stopped loving him, but at least she wasn’t furious with him. At least his flirtations didn’t make her uncomfortable because she was conflicted between wanting to slap him and wanting to kiss him.

Okay, so maybe she was still conflicted, but at least now if she slapped him it wouldn’t be out of anger, right?

“Would you rather sleep instead?”

Emma almost fell off the bed at the sound of Killian’s voice, but she managed to catch herself and sit up in the most graceful way possible. “No no.”

“Well, here’s something to eat.” He handed her a bowl of something, (she didn’t want to ask), and he sat on the bed next to her again, eating.

She watched him for a moment before she began to eat at well. Her nose wrinkled at the taste, but then again anything was better than trying to eat after starving herself for a few days. The food she ate immediately after her self-imposed fast came up almost immediately, and even the food she ate this morning caused her stomach to churn. But even though this soup didn’t taste like anything appetizing, it did nothing to agitate her stomach. Either he knew she would need something like this, or this was normal fare out on the sea. She hoped it was the former, but the fact that he ate it too, without any complaints or scrunched face, made her think it might have been the latter.

She finished the food and looked at him, blinking at the way he was just looking at her. “What is it?”

“Is your stomach okay?”

“Yes…Why wouldn’t it be?” 

Killian gave her a look that seemed to say everything she had just been thinking, but he shook his head and took her bowl from her. “No reason.” He stood and put the two bowls on the table. 

“How come you always seem to know everything?”

“You’re somewhat of an open book, love.” 

“That’s not fair! I can’t read you nearly as well.” Emma pouted.

“Then let me teach you.” He turned to face her. “When you look at me, all you’d see is that you are my most important person.” 

Emma’s cheeks darkened at his words. “That’s all I’d see?”

“Well, that and how devilishly handsome I am.” He winked. 

“Ugh.” Emma grabbed the pillow and threw it at him. “And modest.”

He dodged, of course. “A pirate doesn’t need to be modest.” He chuckled a bit. “Besides, it would be a shame to deny my charming good looks. You agree anyway, don’t you?”

“That you’re devilishly handsome? Perhaps. But I’m not going to admit it.”

“You don’t need to say the words, Emma. Not when your cheeks darken if you look at me for too long.”

“They do not!” But Emma could feel the heat rising to her face. “It’s because you say such things!”

“Is it? Or is it because the little princess is thinking about some very un-princess like things?”

“I am not!” Emma knew protesting was no good, since her face was completely hot now. She was sure her cheeks were red enough to be comparable to the roses in the palace gardens. 

“No?” Killian clicked his tongue. “That’s a shame. I was hoping you would be thinking some of those things, especially since you’re here in my cabin once more. On my bed once again. I am still a pirate.”

“Killian!” Emma hid her face, with her hands, as if hiding the blush would stop him from saying the very things that were making her warm in the first place. But it didn’t work, since she could hear him walking closer. Since she could feel his body heat when he sat on the bed next to her again. Since his lips brushed against her ear as he whispered into it.

“I have been very well-mannered, Emma.” Killian’s voice grew just a little huskier as he continued. “And while I’m always a gentleman, I don’t know how much longer I can control myself when you tempt me so.”

She peeked through her fingers at him. “I tempt you?”

“Of course you do.” He kissed her ear, causing her to squeak. “Almost too much.” He stood. “Which is why you’re going to sleep in here alone tonight, and I’m going to cool my head up on deck.”

“And what if I can’t sleep without you?”

“Then neither of us will sleep well.” He offered her a smile. “Get some rest, love. I will come back when we arrive.”

Emma watched him leave again. She didn’t know if she should be thankful or upset that he left. But she knew he was right. She knew that if he had stayed, neither of them would be able to stop themselves. She knew that Killian had a lot more strength than she did, since he was able to make that rational decision. 

And so she climbed off the bed and picked up the pillow she had thrown at him earlier, trying to calm herself down enough to try to sleep.

Even if she couldn’t stop picturing him when she closed her eyes.


	20. Homecoming

Killian held Emma’s hand as he watched the king pace around the throne room. They had just returned from their journey, but Emma’s parents barely got their hugs done before the princess blurted out their wedding plans. 

Neither of her parents seemed to take it well, and he wasn’t sure if it was due to shock since it was so sudden, or because it was nothing like what either of them thought it would be. The queen seemed particularly disappointed that Emma just wanted to get it done, that she didn’t want some sort of elaborate ball. She tried to explain the importance of such a thing, and even though she was on the verge of tears, Emma was not listing.

The king just paced. Back and forth, wringing his hands a bit with every turn. He occasionally looked over at the two of them, but for the most part he stared at the floor as he moved.

So Killian just stood there and held Emma’s hand, squeezing it gently as if to encourage her, but he wasn’t sure it worked. Not with the stern frown that curved her lips downward.

Neither of them said anything, and Killian wasn’t even sure how much time had passed before the king suddenly stopped in front of them and looked at Emma. “Fine.”

She seemed to be thrown off by that, since her eyes widened a little. “What? Really?” 

Killian couldn’t blame her for that reaction. He couldn’t believe it either. Did the king just agree to let them get married immediately without any ceremony or huge event? That couldn’t be, right? There had to be some sort of catch.

“On two conditions.”

Make that two catches. 

Before Emma could even attempt to protest, the king began to speak. “You can get married tonight if you wish, if you’re so insistent on it, but you will not tell anyone, and you will allow your mother to plan a ball in a month’s time. We will pretend it’s the official ceremony.”

“But won’t that defeat the purpose? If Emma wants it to happen so people know she’s married, then hiding it…” Killian shook his head.

“Isn’t that only an issue if she’s taken again?” The king frowned a bit. “If The Dark One comes to make you marry his son, he’ll know you’re already married. The other kingdoms don’t need to know. Your engagement is already set. If we snub them without a ceremony, it’ll be disastrous.”

Emma sighed a little, but she nodded. “I understand. But what’s the second condition?”

“You stay here.” The king looked at Emma for a moment before he turned his gaze to Killian. “You both do. No pirating. No running off on the ship. You either stay here and join my navy for real, or you don’t marry Emma.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Emma shook her head and let go of Killian’s hand, crossing her arms. “I won’t agree to that.”

“You don’t have to. Killian does.” 

“I won’t let him agree.” She snapped. “You were planning this all along, weren’t you? That’s why you made him fake it before. You just wanted to hold it over his head.” 

Killian watched the exchange with a frown. The idea of rejoining the navy caused a pit to form in his stomach. It was the last thing he wanted to do, and he knew Emma knew it. That was why she was being like this. But he didn’t like seeing her fight with her father, and he liked the idea of not being able to marry her even less. “Fine.”

“What? No.” Emma took his hand again. “Killian, you can’t.” She looked up at him with such wide eyes, her lip trembling just slightly, that it took all of his willpower not to pull her into his arms. “Please, Killian…”

“What choice do I have, love?” He shook his head and lifted his free hand to brush his fingers against her cheek. “I am completely unable to give you up.”

“But I don’t want you to give yourself up for me…” Emma closed her eyes and continued to clutch at his hand. “How am I supposed to live knowing that I cost you your freedom?”

“Emma…”

“I am still standing here you know.” The king muttered. “Maybe you should let me finish explaining before you jump to conclusions.”

Killian turned his head to look at the king, and he gently pulled Emma closer to himself, so he could give her the comfort she seemed to need right now. He relaxed slightly when she leaned against him and looked at her father out of the corner of her eye. “And what is there to explain? I’m sure rejoin the navy is clear and concise, isn’t it mate?”

“Well what do you want from me? We already posed you as a captain. We have to keep that up at the very least.”

“I _am_ a captain.”

“Of a pirate ship.” The king snapped, then shook his head a little as if to clear his head. “With a crew that’s very good at what it does.” He looked at them. “And I want you to keep that crew.”

“They won’t stay and join the navy.” Killian frowned. Surely the king knew that. So why would he expect Killian’s men to stay?

“The only one who has to join the navy is you.” 

“What does that even mean? Are you taking Killian away from his ship? That’s too much.”

“I wasn’t planning on doing that either.” The king shrugged a little. 

“Then I’m afraid I don’t understand. You want me to work for you, but not my men? You want me to keep my ship, but how can I do that if you’re making me do your bidding?”

“Did all those years at sea make you dense? All I said was that you had to rejoin the navy. I clearly meant in title only. And as you can see, my own daughter is prepared to hate me if I make you do something you don’t want to do.”

“Then why even say it?” Emma sighed. “You’re horrible at saying things correctly the first time.”

“You jumped on it before I had the chance. You’re just like your mother.” 

Killian shook his head a little at the exchange. “You just want me to wear the uniform when I have to make an appearance?”

“Oh, so your brain hasn’t completely failed.” 

“You need to say those things in the first place.” Emma huffed. “Otherwise I’m going to think you hate Killian.” 

“If I hated him, he wouldn’t be standing here right now.” The king shook his head and walked past them, towards the doors. “I’ll go tell your mother.”

Killian turned and watched him leave, only looking back at Emma when he felt her weight hit his chest again. She was clinging to him, her face pressed into his shirt. So he lifted his hand and rested it on the top of her head. “Emma, love…”

“Sometimes he makes me so mad.” She mumbled, but she definitely didn’t sound angry. She sounded like she had already started to cry. “I don’t like when he does stuff like that.”

He didn’t know what he could say, so he stroked her hair a little and looked down at her, holding her until she calmed a bit. 

“I’m okay.” She said and pulled herself back, looking up at him and wiping her own cheeks, though there were only a few tears. “I’m glad he agreed though.”

“If he didn’t, I might have just taken you away on my ship myself,” he grinned a little, hoping it would help lift her mood. She pushed him lightly and smiled, and he smiled in returned. “That’s much better.”

“Don’t tease me. I might actually prefer you take me away.” Emma stepped back more, but took his hand and started to pull him in the direction her father went moments earlier. “Maybe we should run away once we’re married.”

“I really don’t think that would go over well, love.” Killian chuckled and let her drag him out of the throne room and towards the library. Emma had wanted it to be somewhere comfortable, and she probably felt even more strongly about it, especially if they were going to have to go through the whole ceremony again in front of everyone she ever knew, and people she didn’t. 

“Yeah but it’d be a lot better than the alternative…But I get it.” She stopped in front of the library doors and looked at him. “This is it. Are you ready?”

Killian nodded. “If you are.”

Emma smiled and pushed open the doors, pulling him inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! I know I ended it on such an open-ending! But I wanted to leave it like this in case I decide to do something else with it! For now, assume they have their simple little happily ever after!
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me through this story! <3


End file.
